with their
characteristics, namely, the leopard, the panther, and the jaguar. The
precise distinction between the first two, is still an open question,
although the best authorities agree in considering, that they are
distinct animals; still confusion exists. An eminent dealer in furs
informed us, that in the trade, panther skins were looked upon as being
larger than leopards', and the spots more irregular, but the specimens
produced were clearly jaguar skins, which made the matter more
complicated.

The panther, _Felis pardus_, is believed to be an inhabitant of a great
portion of Africa, the warmer parts of Asia, and the islands of the
Indian Archipelago; while the leopard, _Felis leopardus_, is thought to
be confined to Africa. The jaguar, _Felis onca_ is the scourge of South
America, from Paraguay almost to the isthmus of Darien, and is
altogether a larger and more powerful animal than either of the others.
Though presenting much resemblance, there are points of distinction by
which the individual may be at once recognized. The jaguar is larger,
sturdier, and altogether more thickset than the leopard, whose limbs are
the beau ideal of symmetry and grace. The leopard is marked with
numerous spots, arranged in small irregular circles on the sides; the
ridge of the back, the head, neck, and limbs, being simply spotted,
without order. The jaguar is also marked with black spots, but the
circles formed by them are much larger, and in almost all, a central
spot exists, the whole bearing a rude resemblance to a rose; along the
back, the spots are so narrow and elongated, as to resemble stripes. The
tail of the jaguar is also considerably shorter than that of the
leopard, which is nearly as long as the whole body.

Leopards and panthers, if taken quite young, and treated with kindness,
are capable of being thoroughly tamed; the poet Cowper, describes the
great difference in the dispositions of his three celebrated hares; so
it is with other wild animals, and leopards among the rest, some
returning kindness with the utmost affection, others being rugged and
untameable from the first. Of those brought to this country, the
characters are much influenced by the treatment they have experienced on
board ship; in some cases they have been made pets by the sailors, and
are as tractable as domestic cats; but when they have been teased and
subjected to ill-treatment during the voyage, it is found very difficult
to render them socia