54 EINAR LONNBEBG, MAMMALS COLLECTED IN CENTRAL AFRICA. 



The fact remains, however, that in the interior of Congo lives a race of Leopards 

 which have large ring -like rosettes, partly provided with 1 — 4 small spots in the centre, 

 broad choanse (more than 20 mm.) and the interspace between the bullae about equal 

 to!^the breadth of the bulla. This race is, as it seems, well defind from the Leopards 

 of the west coast districts in Gaboon with regard to their skulls as described by Pocock, 

 who has considered them to represent Scheeber's leopardus and thus named them 

 Felis pardus leopardus. Schbeber describes his »leopardus» from Africa and says: 

 »Insonderheit bewohnt er die Westkiiste, von Senegal an bis zum Vorgebirge der Guten 

 Hoffnung, haufig». From a geographical point of view there is thus nothing prohibiting 

 that the Gaboon Leopards are named fileopardus Schreb.». This is, however, not sufficient. 

 It must also be considered, how Schreber describes the animal to which he gives this 

 name. He says^ about it: »Die Lange des Korpers nicht viel liber vier, des Schwanzes 

 zween bis drittehalb Fuss», and he adds »kleiner als der Panther ». The picture of the 

 animal named tyFelis leopardus» shows comparatively small spots, while the picture of 

 Schreber's »Felis panihera)) which is said to be larger displays large annular spots on 

 the sides of the body. The latter, or the »Panther » is said to be at home as well in Africa 

 as in Asia. It can be concluded from this that Schreber believed it possible to distin- 

 guish l:o a large Leopard, tiF. panihera)), with broad annvilar spots living as well in Af- 

 rica as in Asia, and 2:o a smaller Leopard, ))F. pardust), with smaller rosette-like spots 

 inhabiting Western Africa from Senegal to Cape. With the exception of the distribution 

 this Schreber's opinion is in accordance with that of many sportsmen, who speak of 

 a small and small-spotted )>Leopard», and a large and great spotted »Panther». As Po- 

 cock's Leopard skulls from Gaboon were very large, indeed exceeding in length the then 

 known record for such slsuUs, it is evidently erroneous to regard them as belonging to 

 the race which Schreber himself declares to be the smaller. 



Pocock also quotes Erxleben as authority for a »FeUs Leopardus )> from West 

 Africa. It is also true that Erxleben says:' )>Habitat in Guinea et propinquis terris)), 

 but he quotes Schreber's Fdis leopardus as identical, and the measurements which he 

 records for »Felis Leopardus » are also the same as Schreber's for the same animal. 

 On the other hand Erxleben's measurements recorded for his »FeUs pardmstt which is 

 identical with Schreber's ))F. panthera% are much larger. Thus also by Erxleben the 

 specific name »leopardus)> is given to the smaller of two recognized kinds of Leopards. 

 It is accordingly inappropriate to use this name for the largest, or at least one of the larg- 

 est known races of African Leopards, as Pocock has done. 



Felis pardus leopardus Schreber must be reserved for a comparatively small 

 African Leopard with small closely set spots forming rosettes (»macuUs parvis nigris 

 in circulos dispositis maximeque approximatis»), while Felis pardus panthera Schreber 

 (= »F. Pardus » Erxleben, nee )>F. Panthera » Ebxlbbbn) is a large Leopard with 

 ring-formed spots with black spots in the centre ( »macuhs nigris e minoribus quatuor 

 vel quinque in annulum dispositis — — centris nigris »). Schreber considered his F. 

 panthera to live as well in Africa as in Asia, but Africa is mentioned in the first rank. 



1 Schreber, Sauget. Ill, p. 388. 



2 Systema Eegni Animalis, Classis I, Mammalia. Lipsias MDCCLXXVII. 



