MAMMALIA— JAGUAR. 185 



THE JAGUAR,! 



Which is sometimes called the American tiger, is one of the most formida- 

 ble animals of the New World. He is to be found in the southern division 

 of America, from Paraguay to Guiana; but ha does not appear to inhabit to 

 the northward of the Isthmus of Darien. Even in the south the race is 

 gradually growing more rare, in consequence of the double temptation to 

 destroy him, which is offered by the desire of getting rid of a beast so 

 destructive to the flocks, and by the high price which is obtained for 

 his skin. 



More robust and more clumsy than the leopard, he is also much superior 

 in size, as he often measures four or five feet from the nose to the root of 

 the tail. His head is larger and rounder than the leopard's, his limbs are 

 shorter, and his tail is of such a length as only to allow the tip to trail on 

 the ground when the animal stands erect. Above the line of the eyes, the 

 profile is also more pro ninent. 



" These differences c f form,' says Mr Bennett, ' are accompanied by 

 differences in color and markings equally decisive. The general appearance 

 is, at the first glance, the same in both ; but he . pen roses of the leopard are 

 scarcely more than half the size of those of .,e jaguar, and they all enclose 

 a space of one uniform color, in which, unless in some rare and accidental 

 instances, no central spots exist, while, in the latter animal, most of those 

 which are arranged along the upper surface near the middle line of the back, 

 are distinguished by one or two small black spots enclosed within their 

 circuit. The middle line itself is occupied in the leopard by open roses, 

 intermixed with a few black spots of small size and roundish form ; that of 



1 Felis onca, Lin. 



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