The Leopard and Lynx. 25 
than 16,000 head of cattle, thus, in this respect, exceeding the 
tiger. 
The leopard seems to have a great partiality for the flesh 
of the dog, and, on the authority of Sir Emerson Tennant, it 
has a peculiar fancy for the flesh of persons suffering from 
small-pox. “They are strongly attracted by the peculiar odour 
which accompanies small-pox. The reluctance of the natives 
to submit themselves or their children to vaccination exposes 
the island (Ceylon) to frightful visitations of this disease, and 
in the villages in the interior it is usual on such occasions to 
erect huts in the jungle to serve as temporary hospitals. Towards 
these the leopards are certain to be allured, and the medical 
officers are obliged to resort to increased precautions in conse- 
quence.” I havenot been able to confirm this with the testimony 
of any other writer, but, when we recollect the fondness of cats 
for valerian, it is not incredible that leopards may find an attrac- 
tion in the odour of small-pox as described, more particularly 
as the felide generally are said to prefer black men to white, 
on account of the usually stronger smell of their skins. 
Some confirmation of this alleged preference is perhaps 
afforded by an incident which occurred at the Zoological Gar- 
dens in 1879. In that year several Zulus were being exhibited 
in London, and they were taken to the Gardens one Sunday 
in full war paint. On their appearance in the lions’ house 
all the felide exhibited the utmost excitement, and dashed 
about their cages in such perturbation of mind, that the 
keeper was obliged to request the person in charge of the 
men to take them away. Possibly, however, this was only the 
effect of the unfamiliar dress and appearance. 
With the exception of the short tail and the pencil of long 
hairs on the ears, there is nothing specially to distinguish 
the lynxes from the typical cats. They differ little in habit, 
whether the species be European, Asiatic, or American, and all 
of them betray in captivity the most savage disposition. 
In the time of the Emperors, the European lynx, which is 
some 4ft. long in the body, was imported into Rome to 
