A historical study of the cheetah in India, where it is now extinct. Expert Divyabhanusinh Chavda looks back into prehistory and studies interactions between humans and the cat through the years, and shows what conditions and practices led to its extinction in the subcontinent. He concludes with a discussion of a possible reintroduction of the cheetah into India. Complemented by 32 color photos, and 47 halftones and line drawings.  (IDA140, $75.00)