78 MAMMALS

beginning to feed on it at its hind quarters, while the
leopard begins at the shoulders.

The leopard (/. pardus) is recognisable at once
by his spots. He comes next in size to the lion and
tiger, and, unlike them, he can climb a tree. He is
found all over Africa, and in Asia ranges from Pales-

 

 

 

LEOPARDS

tine to Manchuria, and southwards of that line into
India and. Malaysia. Like the tiger, his coat is more
woolly in the colder climates, and its colour varies
according to his haunts. Occasionally he is almost
black ; but just as the ordinary black cat shows the
tabby stripes when seen in a good light, so does the