and devoured him;
their footprints were still fresh upon the damp ground.

Both leopards and chetahs are frequently caught at Newera Ellia. The
common trap is nothing more or less than an old-fashioned mouse-trap,
with a falling door on a large scale; this is baited with a live kid or
sheep; but the leopard is naturally so wary that he frequently refuses
to enter the ominous-looking building, although he would not hesitate
to break into an ordinary shed. The best kind of trap is a gun set with
a line, and the bait placed so that the line must be touched as the
animal advances toward it. This is certain destruction to the leopard,
but it is extremely dangerous, in case any stranger should happen to be
in the neighborhood who might inadvertently touch the cord.

Leopards are particularly fond of stealing dogs, and have frequently
taken them from the very verandas of the houses at Newera Ellia in the
dusk of the evening. Two or three cases have occurred within the last
two years where they have actually sprung out upon dogs who have been
accompanying their owners upon the high road in broad daylight. Their
destruction should be encouraged by a government reward of one pound
per head, in which case their number would be materially decreased in a
few years.

The best traps for chetahs would be very powerful vermin-gins, made
expressly of great size and strength, so as to lie one foot square when
open. Even a common jackal-trap would hold a leopard, provided the
chain was fastened to an elastic bough, so that it would yield slightly
to his spring; but if it were secured to a post, or to anything that
would enable him to get a dead pull against it, something would most
likely give way. I have constantly set these traps for them, but
always without success, as some other kind of vermin is nearly certain
to spring the trap before the chetah's arrival. Among the variety of
small animals thus caught I have frequently taken the civet cat. This
is a very pretty arid curious creature, about forty inches long from
nose to tip of tail. The fur is ash-gray, mottled with black spots,
and the tail is divided by numerous black rings. It is of the genius
Viverra, and is exceedingly fierce when attacked. It preys chiefly
upon fowls, hares, rats, etc. Its great peculiarity is the musk-bag or
gland situated nearly under the tail; this is a projecting and valued
gland, which secretes the musk, and is used medicinally by the
Cinga