Page:Charles Catton, Animals (1788).pdf/11



animal is one of the many which belong to the Cat tribe, and poees the ame inidious dipoition, and in proportion to its bulk, the ame rapacity of temper, and deire for carnage.

The neck and belly of the Hunting Leopard are yellow, or a dirty white; the back and feet, a tawney brown, beautifully marked with black pots; the head is mall and round; the ears hort, as though cropped, which gives a very mart and lively appearance to the creature; is about the ize of a large dog; the body rather long and narrow; the legs and tail rather long, particularly the latter—inhabits the torrid climates, as in general this tribe do, where their rapacity and unatiated appetite ecure to themelves whole tracts of country, the beauties of which man is obliged to give up to thee avage poeors.

The larger Leopards may be conidered of an untameable dipoition, which is rarely or never conquered; everity will not reform, nor will kind uage often; and while the Lion, the Bear, &c. may be brought to familiarity, the Leopard or Panther mut ever be kept at a ditance. The maller animals of this pecies are, however, frequently tamed, and rendered obedient to the will of its governor; we have had occaion already to notice this in the Perian Lynx, and the Hunting Leopard may be added as another intance.

In India it is tamed and trained for the chace of Antelopes, carried in a kind of mall waggon, chained and hood-winked, till it approaches the herd; when firt unchained, does not immediately make its attempt, but winds along the ground, topping and concealing itelf till it gets a proper advantage, then darting on the animal with urpriing wiftnes, overtakes them by the rapidity of its bound; but if it does not ucceed in its firt efforts, confiding of five or ix amazing leaps, mies its prey, loing its breath, and finding itelf unequal in peed, tands till, gives up the point for that time, and readily returns to its mater. The height, as it its, is about three feet.