88 THE WONDERS OE THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. 



belief that their enemy is dead, the whole tribe descend from the tree, first running about the panther, 

 and then leaping upon him with all the antics of apish joy. The panther allows them to carry on this 

 sport for some time, while he watches for a favourable opportunity, when on a sudden he springs up, 

 seizing some of his victims in his claws, and destroying as many as come within his reach. From this 

 trait in the character of the panther arose the Latin proverb — Pardi mortem assimulat. 



The panther has none of the noble qualities of the lion. His thirst for blood is insatiable, and his 

 ferocity is such, that, even when subjugated, and in the power of man, he seems rather to be subdued 

 than tamed. One of these animals, which was seen by M. de Buffon, had, he says, a ferocious 

 countenance and a restless eye : his motions were precipitate, and his cry similar to that of an enraged 

 dog, but more strong and harsh. This animal, like nearly all those that are brought into Europe, 

 was a native of Barbary, and was taken in the forests adjacent to Mount Atlas. 



The form of the panther is in general much more robust, and even, to a certain extent, more clumsy 

 than that of the leopard. The character of the panther in his look appears to be deep, deliberate 

 ferocity, and all the surliness of the most untameable of his species. The head of the panther is con- 

 siderably larger, and at the same time somewhat shorter in proportion than that of the leopard, and 

 the line of profile is more prominent above the eyes. These differences in form are accompanied 

 by differences in colour and markings equally decisive. To the casual observer, the skin of the 

 leopard and the panther appear to be the same, but the roses of the former, on a more minute inspec- 

 tion, will be found to be at a greater distance from each other, and to be divested of the spot which is 

 perceptible in the centre of each rose of the skin of the panther. The rings towards the tip of the 

 tail of the panther are also more distinct than in that of the leopard. Mr. Vigors, speaking of the 

 jaguar, says, " It may not be useless to observe that of the figures given by Buffon in panthers and 

 jaguars, that which is entitled the male panther is, in all probability, a leopard ; the female is unques- 

 tionably a jaguar. The jaguars, both of the original work and of the Supplement, are either ocelots 

 or chatis ; and that which purports to be the jaguar or leopard, although probably intended for a 

 chetah, is not clearly referable, by its form and markings, to any known species." 



Conscious of their own undisputed superiority, which secures them against the attacks of other 

 animals, the panthers never associate together in troops, but each with his female partner occupy a 

 solitary den, which is most generally situate in the very depths of the forest. Hence, when urged by 

 the calls of hunger, they sally forth in quest of their prey, which they seldom attack by open force; 

 but the peculiar make of their feet, as is common with the whole of the cat tribe, enables them to 

 steal on with noiseless tread ; or they station themselves in ambush in such places as appear suitable 

 to their purpose, where they watch, with indefatigable patience, the approach of their victim. Their 

 motions are peculiarly characteristic of their habits and their mode of life. Incapable of long continued 

 speed, their usual gait is slow, cautious, and stealthy, with their posterior limbs bent beneath them, 

 and their ears distended to catch the most trifling noise. Guided by these organs, the internal 

 structure of which is highly developed, they trace the sound of footsteps to an almost incredible 

 distance, and direct themselves towards their prey with unerring certainty. 



Although the sense of smell of the panther is -not very acute, yet it manifests a strong partiality to 

 the smell of spices and aromatic trees ; in proof of which, Gesner relates that a panther was once taken 

 by King Arsaces in Armenia and a golden collar put upon its neck, with this inscription : Rex Arsaces 

 Deo Niseeo— (King Arsaces to the god Bacchus.) Bacchus being called Nisaeus from Nisa, a city in 

 India. The beast was very tame, and would suffer itself to be handled by any persons about the court, 

 but once in the spring, having scented the odour of the aromatic trees, it ran away, and was taken at 

 the lower part of the mountain Taurus, a hundred miles distant from the king's court of Armenia. 



