It must be observed, that it is very doubtful whether the panther has ever yet been truly represented in any drawing. Temminck is of opinion that all the nominal representations of panthers are really those of leopards.

Major Denham, in his travels in Africa, furnishes us with the following description: "During the latter part of the night, while riding on in front with Maramy, the sheikh's negro, who had accompanied me from Kouka, and who appeared to attach himself more closely to me as we approached danger, we had started several animals of the leopard species, who ran from us so swiftly, twisting their long tails in the air, as to prevent our getting near them. We, however, now started one of a larger kind, which Maramy assured me was so satiated with the blood of a negro, whose carcass we found lying in the wood, that he would be easily killed. I rode up to the spot just as a Shouaa had planted the first spear in him, which passed through the neck, a little above the shoulder, and came down between the animal's legs; he rolled over, broke the spear, and bounded off with the lower half in his body. Another Shouaa galloped up within two arms' length, and thrust a second spear through his loins; and the savage animal, with a woful howl, was in the act of springing on his pursuer, when an Arab shot him through the head with a ball, which killed him on the spot.

"It was a male panther, (zazerma,) of a very large size, and measured, from the point of the tail to the nose, eight feet two inches; the skin was yellow, and beautifully marked with orbicular spots on the upper part of the body, while underneath, and at the throat, the spots were oblong and irregular, intermixed with white. These animals are found in great numbers in the woods bordering on Mandara; there are also leopards, the skins of which I saw, but not in great numbers. The panthers are as insidious as they are cruel; they will not attack any thing that is likely to make resistance, but have been known to watch a child for hours, while near the protection of huts or people. It will often spring on a grown person, male or female, while carrying a burthen, but always from behind: the flesh of a child or of a young kid it will sometimes devour; but when any full grown animal falls a prey to its ferocity, it sucks the blood alone."

The following narrative of an encounter with a panther, which is copied from the Library of Entertaining Knowledge, will abundantly prove the formidable nature of the panther, even when the animal is not of its largest size.

"I was at Jaffna, at the northern extremity of the island of Ceylon, in the beginning of the year 1819," says the writer, "when, one morning, my servant called me an hour or two before my usual time, with, 'Master, master! people sent for master's dogs-tiger in the town!' Now, my dogs chanced to be some very degenerate specimens of a fine species, called the Poligar dog, which I should designate as a sort of wiry-haired greyhound, without scent. I kept them to hunt jackals; but tigers are very different things. By the way, there are no real tigers in Ceylon; but leopards and panthers

are always called so, and by ourselves as well as by the natives. This turned out to be a panther. My gun chanced not to be put together; and while my servants were doing it, the collector and two medical men, who had recently arrived, in consequence of the cholera morbus having just then reached Ceylon from the continent, came to my door, the former armed with a fowling-piece, and the two latter with remarkably blunt hog spears. They insisted upon setting off without waiting for my gun, a proceeding not much to my taste. The tiger (I must continue to call him so,) had taken refuge in a hut, the roof of which, like those of Ceylon huts in general, spread to the ground like an umbrella; the only aperture into it was a small door, about four feet high. The collector wanted to get the tiger out at once. I begged to wait for my gun; but no-the fowling-piece, (loaded with ball of course,) and the two hog spears were quite enough. I got a hedge stake, and awaited my fate from very shame. At this moment, to my great delight, there arrived from the fort an English officer, two artillery men, and a Malay captain; and a pretty figure we should have cut without them, as the event will show. I was now quite ready to attack, and my gun came a minute afterwards. The whole scene which follows, took place within an enclosure, about twenty feet square, formed, on three sides, by a strong fence of palmyra leaves, and on the fourth by the hut. At the door of this, the two artillery men planted themselves; and the Malay captain got at the top, to frighten the tiger out by worrying it,—an easy operation, as the huts there are covered with cocoa-nut leaves. One of the artillery men wanted to go in to the tiger, but we would not suffer it. At last the beast sprang: this man received him on his bayonet, which he thrust apparently down his throat, firing his piece at the same moment. The bayonet broke off short, leaving less than three inches on the musket; the rest remained in the animal, but was invisible to us: the shot probably went through his cheek, for it certainly did not seriously injure him, as he instantly rose upon his legs, with a loud roar, and placed his paws upon the soldier's breast. At this moment, the animal appeared to me about to reach the centre of the man's face; but I had scarcely time to observe this, when the tiger, stooping his head, seized the soldier's arm in his mouth, turned him half round staggering, threw him over on his back, and fell upon him. Our dread now was, that if we fired upon the tiger, we might kill the man for the moment there was a pause, when his comrade attacked the beast exactly in the same manner as the gallant fellow himself had done. He struck his bayonet into his head; the tiger rose at him-he fired; and this time the ball took effect, and in the head. The animal staggered backwards, and we all poured in our fire. He still kicked and writhed; when the gentlemen with the hog spears advanced, and fixed him, while some natives finished him, by beating him on the head with hedge stakes. The brave artillery man was, after all, but slightly hurt: he claimed the skin, which was very cheerfully given to him. There was, however,

a cry among the natives that the head should be cut off: it was; and, in so doing, the knife came directly across the bayonet. The animal measured scarcely less than four feet from the root of the tail to the muzzle. There was no tradition of a tiger having been in Jaffna before; indeed, this one must have either come a distance of almost twenty miles, or have swam across an arm of the sea nearly two in breadth; for Jaffna stands on a peninsula on which there is no jungle of any magnitude."

THIS formidable and sanguinary animal is found nearly throughout the whole of Africa, and in eastern and southern Asia. He usually measures about three feet in length, exclusive of the tail, but sometimes reaches four feet. His appearance indicates his natural disposition. He has a restless eye and a sinister countenance, and all his motions are hasty and abrupt. In rapidity, agility, and precision of motion, he is unrivalled by any other animal; an advantage which he owes to the strength of his muscles, the suppleness of his joints, the extreme pliability of his spine, the greater lateral compression of his body, and the slender proportions of his limbs. His prey, on which he darts from his hiding-place, and even pursues up the trees, consists of antelopes, monkeys, and the smaller quadrupeds. Usually, he shuns man, but when closely pressed, he turns upon the hunter, and hunger will drive him to attack, though by stealth, the human race.

"Even among the cats," says Mr Bennett, "he is remarkable for extreme sleekness and excessive agility. He is well distinguished from all the other species, by the vividness of his coloring, and the beauty of his mark

ings. These consist of numerous rows of large rose-like spots, passing along his sides, each formed of the confluence of several smaller black spots into an irregular circle enclosing a fawn colored centre, upon a general ground color of light yellow. On his head, neck, and limbs, and the central line of his back, the spots run into one another so completely, as to form full patches of smaller size than the open roses, and without central yellow. The under parts of his body, as is usual in most quadrupeds, become gradually of a lighter hue, the throat, chest, and abdomen being of a pure and delicate white. His tail is equal in length to the entire body, excluding the head; and is marked by a continuation of the open roses of the sides, which become, towards its extremity, separated in such a manner as to surround the upper surface with partial rings of black alternating with white. The whiskers are long and white, and implanted in a series of black lines which traverse his lips."

In captivity, the leopard has been sometimes brought to a considerable degree of tameness. It is not, however, very safe to trust them; for their original nature is now and then unexpectedly displayed. The female leopard in the Tower is extremely tame, suffers herself to be patted by the keeper, and licks his hands. She has a curious propensity to destroy such articles of dress as she can seize; and has torn to pieces hundreds of parasols, umbrellas, muffs, and hats, which the owners unwarily suffered to come within reach of her sudden and agile spring.

THIS animal, which is called the youze in Persia, the chetah in India, and to which Pennant gave the name of the hunting leopard, is a native of Africa

1 Felis uncia, GMELIN.

and Southern Asia. With the distinguishing characteristics of the cat species, it combines somewhat of the dog. Unlike those of the cat, its claws are only slightly retractile. In size he is intermediate between the leopard and the hound, but has a slenderer body, more elevation in his legs, and a less flat forepart of the head than the former, while he wants the graceful and lengthened form of head and body by which the latter is distinguished. His fur is not sleek, but has a peculiar crispness. Above, the ground color is a bright yellowish fawn; beneath, it is a pure white; the back and sides are covered with innumerable spots, close to each other, from half an inch to an inch in diameter. The spots are larger, but less closely set, on the back than on the head, sides, and limbs. On the chest and under part of the body they are wanting. The tail is marked with interrupted rings of them, till near the extremity, which is surrounded by three or four complete rings. Along the back of the neck, and the anterior part of the spine, is a mane, consisting of longer, crisper, and more upright hairs.

In the east he is used in hunting by the higher classes. Hiding himself as much as possible, he approaches the object, and when he has come sufficiently near it, he makes five or six enormous bounds, with incredible velocity, darts on his victim, and instantly strangles him. In his domesticated state, the chetah is one of the most playful and fond of animals. He has not the slightest appearance of the caprice and mischievousness of the cat.

In describing the ocelot, serious mistakes have been committed by Buffon and other naturalists. It is to Mr Bennett that we are indebted for the