THE LEOPARD. 
boar, it will be some time before I can have another shy at 
tigers, and probably my elephant is ruined, as no huttie can 
face a tiger again after such a mauling. His trunk was 
bitten through in a dozen places." 
THE LEOPARD. {Felts pardus,) 
The leopard, or as he is often called in Southern India, 
the cheeta from the native word ckita, is a most beautiful 
animal to look at Some naturalists assert that we have two 
species of leopards independent of the true cheeta, in India; 
the panther, and the tree leopard : for my part I never could 
tell the difference, which I believe is chiefly in the size, the 
larger leopard being sometimes almost as large as a tigress. 
McMaster agrees in this and believes that there is only one 
species, and that varieties in colour, shape, and size, are 
accidental or caused by climate jor diet.^ The leopard is a 
very formidable animal to meet ; from being much bolder and 
more active than the tiger he is exceedingly dangerous, and 
although he cannot kill with one blow as the tiger does, I 
have known several instances where lives have been lost or 
persons very fearfully mauled by leopards. Sir James 
Outram who was as great a sportsman as he was a soldier, 
told me that he would sooner any day face a tiger than a 
leopard. 
The leopards are often found up among the branches of 
trees, and they run about them with the activity of a squirrel. 
They are very fond of preying on the large black monkey, 
^ Blandford (Fauna of British India) makes only one species Feiis 
pardus f the Leopard or Panther. 
