606 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1889. 



Indians, and was likewise eaten by the natives of North America, 

 according to Catesby.* Darwin, who tasted it himself, states that it 

 is white in color and has the flavor of veal.t Numerous other explorers 

 and travellers make the same comment. Azara says on this point: "I 

 have known my peons to eat it in preference to beef, even when that 

 meat was to be had in abundance."! 



The Puma is known under a multiplicity of English names. Among 

 these are Panther, Painter, Cougar, Catamount, Wild Cat, American 

 Lion, California Lion, Silver Lion,§ Mountain Lion, and Tiger. 



The word Puma is the native Peruvian name,|| according to Garcilasso 

 de la Vega,fl La Condamine,** Tschudi,tt and other authors.f! 



Cougar is an English form of the word Couguar, which Button derived 

 by abbreviation from Guguacu-ara.%% This latter word, lengthened to 

 Cuguacuarana, is, according to Mark grave, the native Brazilian name.|||| 

 Azara, however, states that the ancient name, used by the Guarani 



* Natural History of Carolina, II, 1743, p. xxv. 



t Voyage of the Beagle, 1882, p. 116. 



| Quadrupedos del Paraguay, i, 1802, p. 128. 



§ According to Brehm, Thierleben, Saugethiere, i, 1876, p. 381. Kirtland, in treat- 

 ing of the Mammals of Ohio, recognizes two species of Puma which he calls " Mount- 

 ain Tiger," and " Mountain Cat," respectively. (Geol. Survey of Ohio, 1838, p. 176.) 



|| Belonging to the Quichua language. 



H Garcilasso de la Vega, Royal Commentaries, 1609, pt. 2, book 7. <Hakluyt Soc, 

 Vol. xlv, p. 238. 



** De la Condamine, Abridged Narrative of Travels through the Interior of South 

 America. Read before tbe Acad. Sci. Paris, 1745.<Pinkerton's Coll., xiv, 1813, p. 246. 



tt Tschudi, Fauna Peruana, 1844-1846, p. 126. It is here spelled Poma. 



U The word occurs in several places in Garcilasso de la Vega's work, and its mean- 

 ing is explained. This is the earliest reference to it that I find, though there may 

 possibly be earlier ones. 



" Puma-tampu means a deposit of lions, composed of the words puma, a lion, and 

 tampu, a depot." (Commentaries, Hakluyt Soc, xli, 1869, p. 232.) 



"The part of the city [of Cuzco] where the house of the Fathers of the Company 

 of Jesus now stands was called Amaru-catieha, or the district of Amaru, which means 

 a very large kind of serpent. The part where they kept the lions, tigers, and bears 

 was called Puma- cure it, and Pnma-chipana, giving the name of the lion, which they 

 callj>Mwia" (1. c, II, book 5. Hakluyt Soc, XLV, p. 30). 



'•'Next [in the palace of Yuca Mauco Ccapac in Cuzco], still following our eastern 

 route, comes the ward called Puma-curou, which means 'the beam of the lions.' Puma 

 is a lion and cureti a beam ; because they fastened the lions, which were presented 

 to the Ynca, to large beams in that ward until they were tame and lit to be removed 

 to the place where they were permanently kept." (L. c, II, book 7. Hakluyt Soc, 

 xlv, p, 238.) 



§§ " Le couguar, uom que nous avons doune a cet auimal et que nousavous tire par 

 contraction de son nom brasilieu cuguacu-ara, que l'on prononce cougua-couare. On 

 Vappele tigre rouge a la Guiane." (Euvres Completes de Button, edited by Richard, 

 vol. xv, 1-26, p. 67, foot-note. 



jj|| Markgrave, Hist. Rerum Naturalium Brasilia, 1648, lib. vi, p. 235. 



