SOUTHERN AFRICA. 221 
eularlj in their horses, to the flesh of which, after that of a 
Hottentot, the hon seems to give a decided preference. The 
farmers here have a kind of dog that is not afraid to attack a 
lion ; and it is said that instances have occurred wherein two 
of these together have been able to destroy him. This do- 
mestic animal is as large, but not so strongly made, as the 
Newfoundland dog, of a dark cinereous brown, with black and 
ferruginous stripes, a long straight tail, long pendulous ears, 
and spurious toes on the hind legs. Of tigers, as they are 
called in the colony, the peasantry distinguisli two sorts, the 
tiger of the mountains and the tiger of the plains. Of the 
first, the upper part of the body and exterior part of the legs 
are of a fallovv ground, with irregular black spots, some circu- 
lar, some lunated, and others ocellated ; in some parts distinct^ 
in others running together in clusters ; the sides, belly, and in- 
terior parts of the legs, a white ground with large black cir- 
cular spots; upper part of the tail fulvous, with oblong black 
spots ; under part barred across with alternate black and white 
bands; vibrissas or strong bristles about the mouth, silvery 
white ; a black line along the fore part of the shoulders to the 
chest ; length from the nose to the end of the tail seven feet 
four inches ; length of the tail two feet ten inches. The de- 
scription answers very nearly to that of the leopard, of which 
I believe it to be a variety only. The tiger of the plains is 
evidently of the same species, the only difference being in the 
size, which is a little larger than that of the former, and in the 
color of the ground, which is a little lighter, both of which pro- 
bably may arise from local circumstances. To another species 
of the feline tribe they give the name of leopard. It is not 
so long, but thicker, taller, and much stronger, than those 
