CYNAILURUS JUBATUS.
CH E E TAH . H U N T IN G L EOPAR D.
FELIS JUBATA, End. Syst. Keg. Anim. (1777) p. 510. sp. '6— Sclireb. Sängeth. (1778) Th. in. p. 302, tab. cv— Gmel. Syst. Nat. (1788V
vol. i. pt. 2, p. 79. sp. 11. Pall. Zoo*. Rosso-AsUt. (1 8 1 1 ) vol. ii p. 19—Fjscli. Zoogn. (1 8 1 4 ) p. 224. sp. 7— Desm. Nouv. Diet
Hist. Nat. (1 8 1 6 ) rol. vi. p. 101. Id. Mamm. (18 2 0 ) no. M l , . j L f c fig. 3 . -P . Cuv. Hist. Nat. Mamm. (1823) vol. ii. pi. 1 4 5,-Cu v
Ossem. Foss. (1 8 2 5 ) vol. iv. p. 430.—Temm. Mon. Mamm. (1 8 2 7 ) vol. i. p. 89, and Append, p. 2 5 0 ,-L c s s . Man. Mamm (1827)
p. 182. sp. 485. Fisch. Syn. Mamm. (1829) p. 201. sp. 7— Smuts, Dissert. Zool. (18 3 2 ) p. 26— Jard. Nat. Libr. vol. xvi. p. 197 pi. „
-H a m s , South Africa (1838) 8vo„ Append, p. 372— Less. Comp. Buff. (1838) vol. i. p. 409— Blainv. OstSog. (1 8 3 9 -6 4 )’ vol. ii.
A t l.p la .iv , a s i., rii., sin ., xiv— Harris, Game & W ild Anim. S. Afr. (1 8 4 0 ) pi. xxviii. sp. 2— Gerv. Hist. Nat. Mamm. (1855) p. 94—
Loche, Cat. Mamm. Alger. (1858) p. 8. sp. 14— Bartl. Proc. Zool. Soc. (1861).p. 141— Blyth Proc. Zool. Soo. (1863) p. 181. sp. 1—
Kirk, Proc. Zool. Soc. (18 6 4 ) p. 653. sp. 28— Murr. Geog. Distr. Mamm. (1866) p.' l0 0— Tristr. Proc. Zool. Soc. (1 8 6 6 ) p 91 sp 61
—Jerd. Mamm. Ind. (1 8 6 7 ) p. 114. sp. 117— M'Mast, Notes Jerd. Mamm. Ind. (1870) p. 38.
HUNTING LEOPARD, Penn. Hist. Quad. (1793) p. 284. sp. 184, pi.
CYNAILURUS JUBATUS, Wagl. Natur. Syst. Amphib. (18 3 0 ) p. 30—Severtz. Rev. et Mag. Zool. (1 8 5 8 ) p. 388.
F E U S GUTTATA, Less. Compl. Buff. (1838) vol. i. p. 409— Murr. Geog. Distr. Mamm. (1866) p . 101.
CYNOFELIS JUBATA, Less. Nouv. Tab. Regn. Anim. (1842) p. 49. sp. 509.
CYNOFELIS GUTTATA, Less. Nouv. Tab. Regn. Anim. (1842) p. 49. sp. 510.
GUEPARDA GUTTATA, J. E. Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1867) pp. 277 it 396, t. 24— Id. Cat Cara. Mamm. (1869) p. 39. sp. 1.
FELIS MEGABALIA, Heugl. Zeitschrift Ges. f. Erdkunde, Berlin, (1868) vol.' iii. p. 53.
CYNAILURUS GUTTATUS, Fitzin. Sitzgsber. Akad. Wiss. Wien (1869).
CYNAILURUS JUBATUS, id. ibid.
CYNAILURUS YENATICUS, id. ibid.
FELIS LANEA, Sdat. Proc. Zool. Soc. (1877) p. 532, pl. 55.
H a » . Central and part of Southern In d ia ; in the:' north-west, from Kandish, through Sind and Bajpootana, to the
Punjab. South-western Asia to Syria and Mesopotamia ( J e e d o n ) . Africa.
T h e Cheetah or Hunting Leopard is the Panther of the ancients, who (together with the Arabs of the present day), as stated
by Jerdon, considered it a hybrid between the Lion and the Pard or Leopard. Prom haying non-retractile daws it cannot
be retained in the genus Felts; for in this respect it differs greatly from the true Cats, and approaches the Dogs. In its
disposition also, and the attachment it shows to man, and as an assistant in the chase, it is very dog-like. But the dentition
is that of a Cat; and therefore it is properly retained as a member of the present family. I t is a native of India, Southwestern
Asia, and Afhca, specimens from these countries' being very similar in appearance, in fact' varying much less in
their colour and markings than is usually the case among the spotted Cats; and the disposition and habits of the animals
are the same, irrespective of their habitat. Some authors have thought that there were two species, distinguished by the
presence or absence of long hair upon, the ridge of the neck, resembling a mane; and M. Duvemoy, in a memoir upon
this animal, published in 1834 by the Natural-IIistory Society of Strasbourg, adopting the opinion expressed by Hermann,
endeavoured to prove the existence of two species, founded upon the characters just mentioned, together with a slight
difference of colour. I do not consider that there are two species of this form, but that the differences claimed as 'indicating
specific distinction are those exhibited by individuals of different ages (such as the presence or absence of mane), while
variation of colour in the pelage is the rule among all species of Felidae. I am not aware that any osteologieal differences
have been claimed to exist in these two supposed forms, and I have not been able to discover any. This species becomes
very tame in captivity, and much attached to its master, following him about, when permitted, like a dog. Jerdon mentions
one that was brought to him when but a few days old, which, being clad like tbbse depicted in the accompanying Plate,
resembled so little an adult Cheetah that it was several days before be recognized the species. He reared it with some
greyhound puppies; and they became excellent friends, playing and frolicking: with each other even when nearly fiill-grown.