52 VERTEBRATES. 



mals, not even man excepted, it attacks indiscriminately, and it 

 is rarely capable of being tamed. It watches long and patiently 

 for its prey, and will spring or leap upon them from a considerable 

 distance, so far as seventeen feet. 



Nothing can be more beautiful than the elegant and active 

 manner in which the leopards sport among the branches of the 

 trees ; at one time they will bound from branch to branch with 

 such rapidity that the eye can scarcely follow them ; then, as if 

 tired, they will suddenly stretch themselves along a branch, so as 

 to be hardly distinguishable from the bark, but start up again on 

 the slightest provocation, and again resume their graceful antics 

 When tamed, it expresses great fondness for its keeper, and will 

 play with him like a cat. 



The Ounce, a native of India, and frequently confounded ' 

 with the leopard, is, however, much smaller, being not, at most, 

 above three feet and a half long; however, its hair is much longer 

 than that of the leopard, and its tail still more so. The leopard 

 of four or five feet long, has a tail but of two feet, or two feet and 

 a half. The ounce, which is but about three feet, has a tail often 

 longer than the rest of its body. The color of the ounce is also 

 apparently different, being rather more inclining to a cream-color, 

 which is deeper on the back, and whiter towards the belly. The 

 hair on the back is an inch and a half long; and that on the belly 

 two inches and a half, which is much longer than that of the 

 leopard. Its spiits are disposed pretty much in the same manner 

 as the large leopard, except that on the haunches it is rather marked 

 with stripes than with spots. 



The Jaguar inhabits America. It is larger and more power 

 ful than the leopard, which it resembles in color, but has a black 

 streak across the chest, and a black spot in the centre of the ro- 

 settes. It is fond of climbing trees, and finds little difficulty in 

 ascending, even when the trunk is smooth and destitute of branches. 

 It chases monkeys successfully, and is said to watch for turtles on 

 the beach, and to scoop out their flesh by turning them on their 

 backs and inserting its paws between the shells. It often makes 

 fearful havoc among the sheep-folds, and is said to depart so fax 



