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The Tiger {Fe/is tigris), among the Carnivora, is the sole 
rival of the lion, in strength and ferocity. Its range is 
much more restricted, as it is never found outside of Asia, 
where its principal home is in Hindostan and the adjacent 
islands, though it is sparingly found towards Siberia on the 
north and China on the north-east. It is very common in 
the marshy, wooded tract known as the Soonderbund, formed 
by the extensive delta of the Ganges and Brahmapootra 
rivers. 
There are two fine males in the collection, to the largest 
of which a somewhat tragic interest attaches, as shortly 
after he came into the possession of the Society, in May, 
1876, he inflicted injuries upon his mate, from the effects of 
which she shortly died. 
The male and female Tiger are similar in appearance, and 
have been beautifully adapted by nature for the purpose of 
stealing unobserved upon their prey ; the tawny yellow of 
their skin, striped with vertical bars of black, blending so 
perfectly with the jungle of canes and bamboos, among 
which they live, that it is almost impossible to detect their 
presence until revealed by motion, when it is usually too' 
late for the startled victim to escape. 
The Leopard has much the same distribution as the lion 
and varies almost to the same extent. This building con- 
tains a pair of the Common Leopard {Felis pardits) of 
Africa and Asia. The male of this pair distinguished his 
arrival at Philadelphia from Hamburg by breaking out of his 
cage and taking possession of the hold of the canal-boat in 
which he had been brought from New York. For three days 
he maintained an obstinate defense, but hunger finally got 
the better of him and he fell a victim to the wiles of his 
keeper. The barge being named ‘‘The Chesapeake,” the 
animal was at once called “ Commodore Lawrence,” in honor 
of his gallant naval predecessor. 
The Javan {Felis pardus var. javanensis), some- 
times called the Spotted Panther, is also represented in 
the collection by a male and female. In the next cage to 
these is a fine pair of Black Leopards {Felis pardus var. 
melas). This a rare variety in color of the common Leopard, 
and is believed to exist only in Java. 
