48 



The Living Animals of the World 



The Chinese leopard ranges as far north as the Siberian tiger, and, like the latter, seems 

 to grow larger the fiirther north it is found. The colour of these northern leopards is very 

 pale, the spots large, and the fur very long. At the March fur-sales of the present year, 

 held at the stores of Sir Charles Lanipson, there were Siberian leopard-skins as large as those 

 of a small tiger. 



Leopards are essentially tree-living and nocturnal animals. Sleeping in trees or caves by 

 day, they are seldom disturbed. They do an incredilile amount of mischief among cattle, 

 calves, sheep, and dogs, being especially fond of killing and eating the latter. They seize 

 their prey by the throat, and cling with their claws until they succeed in breaking the spine 

 or in strangling the victim. The largest leopards are popularly called Panthers. In India they 

 sometimes become man-eaters, and are always very dangerous. They have a habit of feeding 

 on putrid flesh ; this makes wounds inflicted by their teeth or claws liable to blood-poisoning. 

 Nothing in the way of prey comes amiss to them, from a cow in the pasture to a fowl up at 

 roost. " In every country," says Sir 

 Samuel Baker, " the natives are unani- 

 mous in saying that the leopard is more 

 dangerous than the lion or tiger. 

 Wherever I have been in Africa, the 

 natives have declared that they had no 

 fear of a lion, provided they were not 

 hunting, for it would not attack unpro- 

 voked, but that a leopard was never to 

 be trusted. I remember when a native 

 boy, accompanied by his grown-up brother, 



Photo by J. W. McLellan] [Highhury. 



SXOW-LEOPAKD, OE OU^•CE. 

 Thia ia a striking portrait of a very beautiful animal. Note Lbe Ion;j; busljy tail, thiclc coat, and large eyea. 



was busily employed with others in firing the reeds on the opposite bank of a small stream. 

 Being thirsty and hot, the boy stooped down to drink, when he was immediately seized by 

 a leopard. His brother, with admirable aim, hurled his spear at the leopard while the boy 

 was in his jaws. Tlie point separated the vertebra3 of the neck, and the leopard fell stone- 

 dead. The boy was carried to my hut, but there was no chance of recovery. The fangs had 

 torn open the chest and injured the lungs. These were exposed to view through the cavity 

 of the ribs. He died the same night." 



In the great mountain-ranges of Central Asia the beautiful Sko\\'-LEOPARD is found. It 

 is a large creature, with thick, woolly coat, and a long tail like a far boa. The colour is 

 white, clouded with beautiful gi'ey, like that of an Angora cat. The edges of the cloundings 

 and spjots are marked with black or darker grey. The eyes are very large, bluish grey or 

 smoke-coloured. It lives on the wild sheep, ibex, and other mountain animals. In capti\'ity it 

 is fur the tamest and gentlest of the large carnivora, not excepting the puma. Unlike the 

 latter, it is a sleepy, quiet animal, like a domestic cat. The specimen shown here belonged to 

 a lady in India, who kej)t it for some time as a pet. It was then brought to the Zoological 

 Gardens, where it was more amiable and friendly than most cats. The writer has entered its 

 cage with the keepier, stroked it, and patted its head, without in the least ruffling its good- 

 temper. The heat of the lion-liouse did not suit it, and it died of consumption. 



