126 1 GUIDE TO THE 
bution over Africa, and, at the Cape, it is erroneously called 
the tiger. It is common in Syria and extends into India 
and the countries to the east, where distinct races are found, 
for example, the leopards of Japan, and of the island of 
Formosa. There also appear to be two varieties in India, 
and these doubtless contribute to perpetuate the erroneous 
idea that there are two distinct animals, the Panther 
and Leopard. But the most marked variety of this species 
is the Black Leopard found in Ceylon, Southern India, 
and Assam, and the countries to the south-east and in some 
of the neighbouring islands. It is very black, but this 
colour is not so intense but that in certain lights the charac¬ 
teristics spots of the leopard can be seen through it. The 
leopard is a very stealthy animal,.and hunts for its prey 
generally along the sides of pasture-lands and the margins 
of forests. It also approaches villages and carries off goats 
and sheep, and it appears to have a strong partiality for 
dogs. Children also are sometimes carried off by it, and 
it is well known that men and women have been killed 
by it. The common leopard, is not a great climber of 
trees, indeed, it seems only rarely to manifest this habit; 
but another and distinct species, Felis macro cells, called 
the Clouded Leopard, and found in Assam and in the 
countries to the south-east, frequents trees, and feeds 
largely on birds. 
The larger Carnivora conclude with that curious looking 
animal, the Hunting Leopard or Cheetah, Felis jubata . 
Its distinguishing features are its small round head, 
long legs, slender figure, with the loins of a greyhound, 
and long tail. There is a considerable mane, and 
the hair on the belly is long. It will also be observ¬ 
ed that the claws are visible, as they are not so 
