The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1910-08-05


of the world. On some the ground
color is almost white; in others a
clear nut brown. Others are jet
black.
Wherever they live leopards are
cattle thieves, sheep thieves, dog
thieves and human being thieves.
Though not formidable in appearance
they are immensely strong, and it is
not unusual for them to turn man
eater. Both in India and in Africa
they have been known to set up in
this as deliberately as any tiger. They
have four or five young at birth.
The cubs can be kept tame for some
time, and are amusing pets, but it is
extremely dangerous to have them
about.
In Hongkong an Englishman had
tame leopard. 1t was brought into
the dining room by a coolie to be eX-
hibited to the owners guests Ex-
cited by the smell of food, the leop-
ard refused to go out when one of
the women, who did not like his
looks, asked that it be removed. The
gan to haul it out. 1t seized him by
the neck, bit it through and in min
ute the coolie was dying, covered with
blood, on the dining room floor.
The Chinese leopard ranges as far
north as the Siberian tiger, and, like
the latter, seems to grow larger the
further north it is found. The color
1e w, i,,
pale, the spots are large and the fur
is very long.
The natives of all countries are
unanimous in declaring that the leop-
ard is more dangerous than the lion
or tiger. They have no fear of the
lion, providing they are not hunting
for it, for it will not attack unless
provoked, but a leopard is never to
be trusted.
In Africa a number of natives were
firing the reeds along stream. One
of them, boy. being thirsty and hot,
stopped down to drink. He was i'm
mediately seized by leopard. The
boys brother, with an admirable aim,
hurled his spear at the leopard while
the boy was in his jaws. The point
separated the vertebrae of the neck
and the leopard fell stone dead. But
the boy could not recover. The leop-
ards fangs had torn open his chest
and injured the lungs. The latter
were exposed to view through the
cavity of the ribs. He died during the
night.
Leopards are essentially tree-living
and nocturnal animals. Sleeping in
trees or caves by day, they are seldom
disturbed. They do an incredible
amount of mischief among cattle,
calves, sheep and dogs, being espe-
cially fond of killing and eating the
latter.
They seize their prey by the throat.
and cling with their claws until they
succeed in breaking the spine or in
strangling the victim. They have a
habit of feeding on putrid flesh; this
makes wounds inflicted by their teeth
or claws liable to blood poisoning.
Nothing in the way of prey comes
amiss to them, from cow in the pas
ture to fowl up at roost.
In the great mountain ranges Of
Central Asia the beautiful snow leop-
ard is found. 1t is a large creature,
with thick, woolly coat and long
tail like fur boa. The color is
white, cloudel with beautiful gray.
like that of an Angora cat. The edges
of the cloudings and spots are marked
with black or darker gray. The eyes
are very large, blush gray Or smoke
colored. 1t lives on the wild sheep,
ibex and other mountain animals In
captivity it is far the tamest and gen.
tlest of the large earnivora, not ez-
cepting the>pHfna Unlike the latter,
it is sleepy, quiet animal, like do
nestle.
The West African leopard skin is
more handsome than the Asiatic. the
spots being very distinct and clear.
He and she-they usually go in cou-
ples-are fond of hunting canton
ments and around native towns,
where they pick up a goat and now
and then baby.
One night l was camped in native
town and after 1 had retired the ma s
tives, as was their custom, were sit
ting about great fire asking my car
avan all sorts of questions, for the
African savage is the greatest gossip
in the world Suddenly a child's cry
rang out, followed by great clamor
Rushing out to discover the cause of
alarm, was informed that leopard
had stolen from the darkness and
quick as flash had grabbed four
year-old child and made off with it.
The child was seated in the midst of
the grown men and women. The lat
ter could only lament their loss They
knew it was useless to try to pursue
the beast into the dense bush.
The leopard is so bold that even in
daylight he will wander about town
or a white mans premises. 1t is not
at all unusual to get good shot at a
leopard from a bungalow veranda or
a mud hut door.
Wounded leopards have always a
nasty temper, and it is distinctly inad-
visable to follow up wounded pam
ther at night The moral is, of
course, to kill outright. With good
moon and a white goat, cool eye
and a fairly heavy ball, there is not
much difficulty in straight kill
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