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the leopard. 
The leopard, though considered by soiw^ 
naturalists as a variety only of the panthet^ 
has such specific characters as to entitle it 
the rank of a distinct branch of the family 
of Felis. His height is about two feet, 
his average length scarcely four. The groun^l 
colour of his skin is a yellowdsh fawn, whid* 
gradually becomes a perfect white on th® 
under parts of the body ; on the back, heai> 
neck, and limbs, it is covered with black spoP 
of a circular or oval shape. On the sides aii^l 
part of the tail, the spots form ten or tweb'® 
ranges of distinct roses, surrounding a central 
space of a somewhat deeper colour than 
general ground. The panther has no mor^ 
than six or seven ranges of these roses. LeO' 
pards of a black colour, with still darken 
