CARNIVORA. 
43 
the animal be found to have large, round or oval, 
open marks of black, with a central spot, on the sides 
and back, and a tail longer than from its insertion to 
the ground, it may be concluded that it is the real 
panther. 
Major Smith has no drawing of a real panther, that 
he can depend on, in his very extensive collection. 
Lastly, that indefatigable investigator Cuvier, says, 
he was long in doubt whether the panther and 
leopard were distinct ; but a comparison of a great 
number of skins, as well as observations on the nu- 
merous animals sent to the French Museum, have 
satisfied him that they are different ; and he accord- 
ingly describes the panther as having six or seven 
rows of rose-like spots in transverse lines, the tail 
longer, and the head larger than the jaguar, and the 
ground colour of the fur paler. The leopard he 
describes as a little less than the panther, though 
with the same proportions ; but the spots as much 
more numerous, forming ten transverse lines. 
The opinion of Cuvier is certainly deserving the 
greatest attention ; but it may be observed, that his 
enumeration of the six or seven rows of spots in the 
panther, and of ten in the leopard, is not so certainly 
intelligible as might be desired, when it is considered, 
that the spots or marks in question have really little 
or no parallelism. Notwithstanding, therefore, this 
respectable authority, it seems very probable, that 
the panther and leopard are one and the same species, 
which branches into two varieties, the Asiatic and 
