File:The great and small game of India, Burma, and Tibet (1900) (14597189358).jpg

Identifier: greatsmallgameof1900lyde (find matches)
Title: The great and small game of India, Burma, & Tibet
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors: Lydekker, Richard, 1849-1915
Subjects: Hunting Hunting Hunting Mammals
Publisher: London : R. Ward
Contributing Library: Boston Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Public Library

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
uralists it was commonly termed the Ounce or Onza^—names saidby Buffon to be corrupted from Lynx or Li/nx, of which animal thepresent species was supposed to be a near relative. The same name occursagain in the scientific title of the jaguar, Fc/ls onca. The name Bharal-he,bestowed on the snow-leopard by the hill-tribes to the northward of Simlarefers to its partiality for the mutton of the blue sheep or bharal. The snow-leopard is specially characterised by the length and thicknessof the fur, which attains its maximum development on the tail. Theground-colour of the fur is white, and the black spots, except on the head,are larger and more ill-defined than in the leopard, forming large inter-rupted and somewhat irregular rosettes, with the light area inside each ota somewhat darker tint than the general ground-colour. On the head andlimbs, as well as in the terminal third of the tail (where they form rings)the spots are solid, that is to say, without light centres ; and on the under
Text Appearing After Image:
Fig. 59.—Skin of Snow-Leopard. 3IO Great and Small Game of India, etc. surface of the body they are comparatively few, and these somewhat ill-defined. A dark longitudinal streak runs from near the middle of theback to the root of the tail ; and the black external surfaces of the ears areeach marked by a large yellowish spot. In height the snow-leopard stands about 24 inches at the shoulder ;and, although precise dimensions are very difficult to obtain, its total lengthwould appear to range between 6 and 7 feet, or perhaps rather more. Ina specimen of which the total length is 6 feet minus half an inch, thetail measures 36 inches ; but this appendage has also a similar length inan example of which the entire length is 6 feet 4 inches. The skull,which measures from 6 to 7 inches in length, can be readily distinguishedfrom that of the leopard by the more swollen palate, and the shorter nasalbones, approximating in the latter respect to the cranium of the lion. The snow-leopard, as its

Note About Images