1833.1 HABITS OF THE JAGUAR. 135 



about four feet above the level of the river ; but durins: the 

 periodical floods they are inundated. They all present one cha- 

 racter ; numerous willows and a few other trees are bound to- 

 gether by a great variety of creeping plants, thus forming a thick, 

 jimgle. These thickets afford a retreat for capybaras and 

 jaguars. The fear of the latter animal quite destroyed all plea- 

 sure in scrambling through the w^oods. This evening I had not 

 proceeded a hundred yards, before finding indubitable signs of 

 the recent presence of the tiger, I was obliged to come back. 

 On every island there were tracks ; and as on the former excursion 

 " el rastro de los Indios" had been the subject of conversation, so 

 in this was " el rastro del tigre." 



The wooded banks of the great rivers appear to be the favourite 

 haunts of the jaguar ; but south of the Plata, I was told that they 

 frequented the reeds bordering lakes : wherever they are, they seem 

 to require water. Their common prey is the capybara, so that 

 it is generally said, where capybaras are numerous there is little 

 danger from the jaguar. Falconer states that near the southern 

 side of the mouth of the Plata there are many jaguars, and that 

 they chiefly live on fish ; this account I have heard repeated. 

 On the Parana they have killed many wood-cutters, and have 

 even entered vessels at night. There is a man now living in the 

 Bajada, who, coming up from below when it was dark, was seized 

 on the deck ; he escaped, however, with the loss of the use of 

 one arm. When the floods drive these animals from the islands, 

 they are most dangerous. I was told that a few years since a 

 very large one found its way into a church at St. Fe : two padres 

 entering one after the other were killed, and a third, who came 

 to see what was the matter, escaped with difficulty. The beast 

 was destroyed by being shot from a corner of the building which 

 was unroofed. They commit also at these times great ravages 

 among cattle and horses. It is said that they kill their prey by 

 breaking their necks. If driven from the carcass, they seldom 

 return to it. The Gauchos say that the jaguar, when wandering 

 about at night, is much tormented by the foxes yelping as they 

 follow him. This is a curious coincidence with the fact which is 

 generally affirmed of the jackals accompanying, in a similarly 

 officious manner, the East Indian tiger. The jaguar is a noisj 

 un'mal, roaring much by night, and especially before bad weather. 



