8 STUDIES IN THE EVOLUTION OF ANIMALS 



The Jaguar is only a South American Leopard, and black varia- 

 tions of it are frequent also there. 



It may be interesting to note that the black Leopards of Africa 

 differ somewhat from the black Leopards of Asia. 



The Royal Natural History, vol. i. p. 338, regarding the 

 black African Leopards, states that in 1885 a black specimen, 

 obtained near Grahamstown, was described by Dr. Giinther. Its 

 ground colour was a rich tawny, with an orange tinge ; but 

 the spots, instead of being of the usual rosette-like form, were 

 nearly all small and solid, like those on the head of an ordinary 

 Leopard. 



In the black Leopards of Asia the rosettes are retained, while in 

 those of Africa they appear to lose their ocellus and become solid. 

 The jet-black Leopards, like the jet-black domestic Cats, usually 

 lose all traces of markings. 



Leopards and Jaguars are tree-loving animals, and therefore 

 it seems obvious to evolutionists that their markings were the 

 result of natural selection, acting cumulatively on favourable 

 variations so as ultimately to harmonise them with a surround- 

 ing of speckled lights and shades produced by the leaves of 

 trees. 



Unlike the Lion and the Tiger, the Leopard of India is ' thor- 

 oughly at home in trees, running up a straight-stemmed and smooth- 

 barked trunk with the speed and agility of a Monkey ' ; ^ and Mr. 

 Hunter remarks that in Africa ' the Leopard nearly always puts the 

 remains of his " kill " up a tree.' ^ Then the Jaguar ' is one of the 

 most expert climbers among the larger Cats ' ; ^ and during inun- 

 dations it is said that it will sometimes take to an arboreal life, 

 preying upon Monkeys. 



So we see there is ample evidence to .show that the Leopards 



' Roy. Nat. Hist., vol. i. p. 390. ^ Ibid. p. 392. ^ Ibid. p. 395. 



