238 WILD LIFE IN CHINA. 



Szechwan, several high mountain chains bend round and 

 run parallel to one another in a north and south direction, 

 forming the complicated mountain system of the Mantze 

 country. These various ranges of mountains are inhabited 

 by numerous kinds of big game or medium sized game, but 

 it must be borne in mind that even when the mountains have 

 been reached, their enormous extent, the difficulties of 

 supply and transport, and the frequent impossibility of 

 obtaining accurate information locally, make hunting trips a 

 considerable enterprise and involve them in no little expense. 

 Nevertheless, given sufficient time in one locality, thus 

 enabling the hunter to cover plenty of ground and become 

 thoroughly acquained with the district, there is no doubt 

 that any amount of good shooting is to be obtained in western 

 China. In the Sin-ling mountains west of Sian-fu were 

 leopard (Felis pardus) third in point of size in the cat tribe, 

 and hog (Sus species). The leopard of course, like all the 

 cat tribe, is a nocturnal animal, and therefore not commonly 

 met with. However, it has an extensive range throughout 

 the mountainous regions of China, and we heard stories 

 of its depredations everywhere, for it inspires a wholesome 

 dread in the native mind. Moreover, in the big cities of the 

 west, splendid skins may always be bought for eight or ten 

 taels apiece, those being specially prized in which the black 

 markings form complete rings (an uncommon occurrence) and 

 thecentralareolaisof a shade different from that of the ground 

 colour. Unfortunately the Chinese are blind to the beauties 

 of completeness and even to the advantage of conforming 

 reasonably to the canons of zoology: after skinning the entire 

 animal out through the mouth, under the foolish impression 

 that it is better to wrench the skin altogether out of shape 

 rather than cut it anywhere, they then proceed to contradict 

 themselves by cutting off the claws, as being mere useless 

 appendages, and mutilating the heads; moreover as they 

 frequently neglect to remove the tail bones, the fur is very 

 apt to come out of the tail, and the skins are, on the whole, 

 very imperfect. A few days north of Kin-tsi-kuan, on the 

 Tan river, whilst working at a small mountain village, a 

 leopard was brought in to us. It had recently descended 

 from the mountains and killed a lamb, leaving half the 

 carcass for another time; whereupon the shepherds promptly 

 poisoned it against his majesty's return. The leopard duly 

 returned to finish his repast, unsuspiciously began again 

 upon the carcass, now liberally spread with arsenic, and 

 quietly died. It does not sound a very sporting way of 

 dealing with the vicious beast, but naturally the natives are 

 more concerned with their flocks than with sport. Not 

 long afterwards we were working at a lovely spot just 



