In captivity, the Puma, at any rate when caught young, is a tolerably docile animal, and, like the Domestic Cat, is fond of playing with inanimate objects; the Pumas at the Zoological Gardens, for instance, have a large wooden ball as a toy. They do not, however, appear to be always perfectly amiable; the female may often be seen swearing at her lord in a most reprehensible manner. [Illustration: SNOW LEOPARD, OR OUNCE. (_From the Living Specimen in the Zoological Gardens, London._)] THE OUNCE.[23] The Ounce, or “Snow Leopard,” as it is commonly called by sportsmen in the hills, is found throughout the Himalayas at a great elevation, never very much below the snows, at ranges varying with the season from 9,000 to 18,000 feet. It is said to be more common on the Tibetan side of the Himalayas; it is found also throughout the highland region of Central Asia, and extends as far west as Smyrna. [Illustration: OUNCE.] It is about the same size as the Leopard (four feet four inches long, excluding the tail), which it also resembles in habits; in fact, it may be looked upon as a Leopard specially adapted for a cold climate. The ground-colour of the skin is pale yellowish-grey, turning beneath to dingy yellowish-white. It is spotted in much the same way as the Leopard, though not so distinctly. “The fur throughout is very dense, and it has a well-marked, though short mane. The face is short and broad, and the forehead much more elevated than in any other Cat.” The Ounce is said to frequent rocky ground, and to kill the Wild Sheep as well as Domestic Sheep, Goats, and Dogs; but it has never been known to attack man. THE CLOUDED TIGER.[24] This animal, which is about intermediate in size between the great Cats, such as the Lion, Tiger, or Leopard, and the lesser kinds, such as the Ocelot, Eyra, or Tiger-Cats, is, as far as the markings of the skin are concerned, one of the most beautiful animals in the whole family. The ground-colour of the skin is not so fine as that of the Tiger, being a light buff instead of a rich orange-tawny, but the large, irregular, cloud-like patches of black are far more exquisite than the parallel bands of the Tiger; and, indeed, the only animal which in any way approaches it in the beauty of its markings is the Ocelot, and from this the Clouded Tiger certainly bears the palm. Its form is not particularly graceful, as its legs are short in comparison with the length of its body, and its snout, though longer than that of most Cats, is blunt and somewhat awkward. One of the chief beauties of this creature, however, is its magnificent tail, which is fully four-fifths the length of the body (the latter being some forty inches long), and handsomely ringed with black. The skull is much elongated, especially its facial portion, and bears a strong resemblance to that of the extinct _Felis smilodon_. The pupil is oblong and erect, not round, as in all the preceding species. [Illustration: CLOUDED TIGER.]