The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1890-02-22
creasing numbers, it now does compare,
lively little dam ana In Indio 49,. -

we'll as IN ,CeylOn ana Africa. Some
| naturalists think the leopard and
panther are of different species, but
most consider them only varieties.
The leopard is much more active than
the tiger, and climbs trees almost as
! readily as a cat, while it can spring to
most surprising heights. 1t is most
bloodthirsty, bold and destructive ami
NAL, carrying off sheep, goats, and es-
pecially dogs. so that, in some of the
Indian hill-stations, it is difficult to
keep dog, for the daring leopard will
enter huts, tents and outhouses in search
OF them; and there are numerous in
stances OF their coming upon the yer.
andas OF country houses and taking a
dog from the side of his master as each
was enjoying nap in the cool of the
evening. Their movements arc so
stealthy and silent, and at the same
time SO bold, that even the usual canine
vigilance is bafHed.
"A tiger will seldom voluntarily ap-
proach human habitation, but the
oolder and more aggressive leopard con-
stantly does SO. The leopard is fond
of rocky places and caves, and from
them, as we'll as from overhanging
branches, is apt to spring on passing
animals. But it is so active that it's
prey is very varied in kind, and it de-
stroys great many peacocks and other
large birds which roost in trees.
Some times, like the tiger, leopards
become man-eaters; and Blandford says
that, in the Sonthal and in the Central
Provinces, they became, about 1860, very
destructive to human life, even taking
women and children out of their own
houses. One leopard, near place
called Seoni, is said to have killed near
ly two hundred human beings in two
years., He was at last shot
Leopards are silent animals, but if
wounded, make a grating roar when
charging, at which time they are almost
as dangerous as tiger. 1t takes to the
water readily, and swims we'll; but
tigers swim much better than their
feline character would lead us to sup
pose.
Three thousand eight hundred and
twenty-five leopards were killed in India
during 1887, and they killed during that
year two hundred and ten human beings
and nearly twenty-five thousand ami
mails, mostly sheep, goats and dogs.
Another formidable animal of India
is the hyena; but sneaking and coward
~ in nature, it is apt only to attack in
firm old people or children who happen
to be alone. It comes out only at MI ht
from the caves and ravines which it
haunts. One popularity of this animal
is its enormous strength of jaw, one
snap OF which will crush the bones of
the largest man, while by gnawing it
soon makes away with the large bones
OF even the elephant and the wild buff
falo.
In 1887 thirteen hundred and ninety
hyenas were destroyed in India, and
these animals killed in the same year
seventeen human beings and about
three thousand head of domestic cattle.
Their food is principally carrion.
The Indian wolves are more destruct-
i've than the hyenas, especially with
cattle, but they seldom attack any
other human beings than children,
whom they are said always to seize by
the throat. Between six and seven
thousand wolves were killed in 1887.
Although bears live mostly upon ROOTS
wild fruits and berries, they sometimes
attack human beings; and in recent
and we'll authenticated case, bear en-
tered a house in village and killed
several people before it was itself de-
stroyed.
Elephants-those which are called
''rogues' '-still kill many people,
although now that the government pre-
serves their haunts, such deaths are not
so frequent. When an elephant kills a
man, he generally does so by dashing
him to the ground with his trunk and
then crushing him with the fore feet and
hind feet. In former days, many of the
native rulers of the Indian states had
elephants as exechtioners, trained for
the purpose.
The wild boar sometimes kills people
in India, but it is mostly those who are
hunting him-for pigsticking, as it is
called, is favorite sport all over the
country. In Bengal the boars are often
three feet high at the shoulder, and have
most formidable tusks, with which they
can inflict fearful wounds, and their
strength, courage and activity are so
great that they often put the tiger to
flight when attacked by him. They do
great damage to the crops, and there
fore the natives are always glad to see
them killed.
The crocodile is very destructive in
the great country of which we are speak
ing. In such regions as the Sunder-
bunds, which are low and marshy, cut
up by creeks, and at the delta of the
river Ganges, crocodiles are very numer-
GUS and dangerous, often Selling peo-
pie who are bathing, or even dipping
water, as we'll as carrying off cattle and
other domestic animals.
The celebrated Sir Joseph Fayrer
says that he once saw a man seized as
he was swimming across a mullaA, or
stream, holding the tail of o. COW which
he was driving before him. The croco-
die caught the man by the leg, and as
both held on with determination, the
limb was taken off at the knee, and the
man, faint and exhausted, was dragged
on shore, but only to live short time
Tanks, or grounds made by damming
stream, so as to preserve water during
the dry months, as we'll as natural lakes
and marshes, are the homes of monsters
Of this species, some of them twenty
feet long. They are all blood thirsty,
and seem to eat any living thing they
can get hold of, and no carrion comes
amiss to them. In the neighborhood of
certain temples they are sacred, and the
native priests feed them-the creatures
assembling at the sound of bell, or
clapping of hands, or even of the voice,
and opening their hideous mouths for