The best way to describe an unfamiliar big cat, such as a black leopard, was to compare it to a more familiar animal – a lion. In the 18th and early 19th century, the term “tiger” was often used by Europeans as the generic word for big cat e.g. South American tigers (jaguars)...
followed by red and white, then tricolor, and I don’t really care for “boring” (in my eyes) black and white. I ended up with a tricolor pup, and I am head-over-heels in love with him, but I do think his sable brother is much more beautiful!