The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-08-19
THE HEUcL-YLEOPARD
He Is a Cattle Thief and Even a
 Human Being Thief.
WORSE THAN LION OR TIGER.

Seizes Its Prey by the Throat and
 CIings With It's Claws Until 1t
 Breaks the Spine of It's Victim or
 Straneles It.
 Less in size, but even more ferocious, the leopard has a worse character than the tiger or lion. Living mainly in trees and very nocturnal, this fierce and dangerous beast is less often seen than far rarer animals. It is widely spread over the world from the Cape of Good Hope to the Atlas mountains sea, where it is sometimes met with in the Caucasus.
 Any one who has frequented the zoo for any time must have noticed the difference in size and color between leopards from different parts 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 cat tie thieves. sheep thieves, dog thieves and human being thieves. Though not formidable in appearance, they are i'm menssly 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 line as delib- erately as any tiger. They have four or five young at a birth. The cubs can be kept tame for some time and are amusing pets, but it is extremely dan gerous to have them about
 In Hongkong an Englishman had a tame leopard. 1t was brought into the dining room by a coolie to be exhibit ed to the owners guests. Excited by the smell of food, the leopard refused to go out when one of the women, who did not like his looks, asked that it be removed. The coolie took hold of its collar and began to haul it out. It seized him by the neck, bit it through and in a minute 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 farther north it is found. The color of these northern leopards is very pale, the spots are large and the fur is very long.
 The natives of all countries are unan- imous in declaring that the leopard is more dangerous than the lion or tiger. They have no fear of the lion, provided they are not hunting for it, for it will not attack unless provoked, but leopard is never to be trusted.
 In Africa a number of natives were firing the reeds along a stream. One of them, boy, being thirsty and hot, stopped down to drink He was imme- diately 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 leopard's 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 especial ly 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 1n strangling the victim. They have 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 cen traI Asia the beautiful snow leopard is found It is a large creature, with thick, woolly coat and long tail like a fur boa. The color is white, clouded with beautiful gray. like that of an Angora cat. The edges of the cloud fngs and spots are marked with black or darker gray. The eyes are very large, bluish gray or smoke colored. It lives on the wild sheep, ibex and other mountain animals. In captivity 1t is far the tamest and gentlest of the large carnivora, not excepting the pu- ma. Unlike the latter, it is sleepy, quiet animal, like domestic.
 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 couples are fond of hunting cantonments and around native towns, where they pick up a goat and now and then baby.
 One night I was camped in native town and after had retired the na- ttves, as.was their custom, were sitting about a great fire asking my caravan all sorts of questions, for the African savage is the greatest gossip fD the world. Suddenly a child's cry rang out followed by great clamor. Rush ing out to discover the cause of alarm, I was informed that a leopard had stolen from the darkness and quick as a fash 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 latter could only lament their loss. They knew it was useless to try to pursue the beast into the dense bush.
 Tho 1eopa rd is SD hold that even in