PEIIS JUBATA. 115 



at them), and was always sportive and frolicsome. It got much attached 

 to me, at once recognising his name (Billy), and he would follow me on 

 horseback like a dog, every now and then sitting down for a few seconds, 

 and then racing on after me. It was very fond of being noticed, and used 

 to purr just like a cat. It used to climb on any high object, the stump of 

 a tree, a stack of hay, and from this elevated perch watch all round for 

 some moving object. As it grew up, it took first to attacking some sheep 

 which I had in the compound, but I cured it of this by a few sound 

 horsewhippings ; then it would attack donkeys, and get well kicked by 

 them; and when not half-grown it flew one day at a fall grown tame 

 nU-ghai, and mauled its legs very severely before it could be called oflf. 

 I had some chikaras (Gazella hennettit) caught, and let loose before it 

 to train it. The young cheeta almost always caught them easily, but 

 it wanted address to puU them down, and did not hold them. Occasion- 

 ally if the antelope got too far away it would give up the chase, but 

 if I then slipped a greyhound, it would at once follow the dog and join 

 the chase. It was gradually getting to understand its work better, and 

 had pulled down a well grown antelope fawn when I parted with it, as I 

 was going on field service. 



Its mode of hunting the antelope has often been described; and I 

 transfer an account of it from the pages of the Indian Sporting Eeview. 



" On a hunting party," says Buchanan Hamilton, " the cheeta is carried 

 on a cart, hooded, and when the game is raised the hood is taken off. 

 The cheeta then leaps down, sometimes on the opposite side to its prey, 

 and pursues the antelope. If the latter are near the cart, the cheeta 

 springs forward with a surpassing velocity, perhaps exceeding that which 

 any other quadruped possesses. This great velocity is not unlike the 

 sudden spring by which the tiger seizes its prey, but it is often continued 

 for three or four hundreds yards. If within this distance, the cheeta does 

 not seize its prey he stops, but apparently more from anger or disappoint- 

 ment than from fatigue, for his attitude is fierce, and he has been known 

 immediately afterwards to pursue with equal rapidity another antelope that 

 happened to be passing. If the game is at too great a distance when the 

 cheeta's eyes are uncovered, he in general gallops after it until it ap- 

 proaches so near that he can seize it by a rapid spring. This gaUop is "as 

 quick as the course of well-mounted horsemen. Sometimes, but rarely, the 

 cheeta endeavours to approach the game by stealth, and goes round a 

 hill or rock until he can come upon it by surprise. This account of the 



