IN CAPTIVITY IN LOWER BENGAL. 51 



masons, who had been engaged in the inner dens that day had, when 

 they stopped work in the evening, left the back doors of two of the 

 inner compartments open. The keepers who were then inexperienced 

 and untaught did not notice the open doors as they ascended to the 

 roof, so that on reaching the top they raised the gratings as usual to 

 allow the tigers to retire into their sleeping dens, and the tigers had 

 nothing to do but to walk straight out of the cages by the back way. 



(49) THE LEOPARD. 



(FELIS PARDUS— Linn.) 

 Hindi — Kendiva Bagh. Bengali — Chita Bagh. 



The leopard is well known in Lower Bengal. Its size is variable, 

 some specimens being as large as 8 feet from the tip of the nose to 

 the end of the tail ; another animal of the same age, however, may 

 measure much less. The height at the shoulder also varies from 1 foot 

 6 inches to 2 feet. Three varieties of leopards have been received 

 in the garden. The largest in size has a comparatively short tail, and 

 clearly marked spots on a pale ground colour ; it has a broad head, 

 and in many specimens the fold of skin at the throat presents the 

 appearance of a dewlap. The smaller variety has a comparatively 

 long tail, and a decidedly rounded head ; its limbs are short, approach- 

 ing, in this respect, to the jaguar's, but wanting the robustness of the 

 latter. The third is from Africa, and has an albescent ground colour; 

 the spots are also very clearly defined. To these may be added the 

 black variety of leopard, of which the spots are distinctly visible 

 through the black ground colour which is deep in some specimens and 

 light in others. The young leopards are of a dirty brown colour and 

 the spots are not well marked ; this is partly due to the fur being very 

 rough in the young ones. 



Hab.— India generally, Malayan peninsula, Java, Sumatra, Burmah, 

 Northern China, Persia, Africa generally. Leopards have been re- 

 ceived in the garden from the following places : Dacca, Mymensingh, 

 Tipperah, Barisal, Jessore, Buxa Dooars, Julpigori, Kuch Behar, 

 Assam, Eungpore, Dinagepore, Rajshahye, Nuddea, Moorshedabad, 

 Malda, Purneah, Bhagulpore, Beerbhoom, Sonthal Pergunnahs, Midna- 

 pore, Orissa, several districts of Behar, Kajputana, Oudh, North- 

 Western Provinces, and East Africa. 



Length of life in captivity. 



The maximum period of life of a leopard in this garden has 

 been fourteen years. An adolescent leopard obtained in 1876 died in 

 April 1890. Those that once overcome the nervousness due to the 

 new surroundings amidst which they find themselves on arrival 

 generally do well. 



Treatment in health. 



Housing. — As a rule all the adult leopards are kept in one or other 

 of the double-chambered dens of the Burdwan House, and are treated 

 in the same manner as the lions and tigers, Half a dozen of them 



d 2 



