3 o6 
IVILB BEASTS AND THEIR WA VS chap, viii 
retreating herd of antelopes, and refused to de¬ 
scend when summoned. It was necessary for the 
attendant to mount the tree, but the difficulty was 
increased by the cheetah making unamiable faces 
as the man approached his perch. The wooden 
ladle was now produced as a lure,, and after some 
hesitation the animal followed the man as he 
descended ; the hood was adjusted over the eyes, 
and the cheetah was replaced within its cage. 
From the description given of the various classes 
of leopards, the destruction committed by these 
animals may be easily imagined; fortunately they 
do not breed like our domestic cats, but they 
seldom have more than two, or at the most three 
cubs at a birth. I have always been of opinion 
that the Government should cease to offer a reward 
for the destruction of tigers (50 rupees), but that an 
increased reward should be given for the death of 
every leopard (25 rupees). The tigers will be 
always killed by Europeans who do not require 
the inducement of a bonus, and the sum of 25 
rupees would incite the natives to trap and destroy 
a common pest and scourge (the leopard), which 
seldom or never affords the hunter a chance of 
sport. 
The cheetah [Felis jubata) should be exempted 
from this decree, as it seldom attacks domestic 
animals, but confines its attention to the beasts of 
the plains and forests. 
