192 Wild Beasts 



Whether the current opinion that black jaguars are 

 more ferocious than those of the spotted variety be true, 

 the author is not able to say. Among tigrcros this is 

 believed to be the case; but that kind of animal is rarer 

 than the others, attracts more attention, and being un- 

 doubtedly dangerous, naturally gathers round it certain 

 superstitions with which the minds of this class of men 

 become impregnated. Natives, in general, do not appear 

 to make any particular distinction between the varieties, 

 and such records as we possess place them very much 

 upon a par, with regard to the habits and characteristics 

 that have been spoken of. 



The jaguar's strength is very great. These beasts are 

 well known to "carry off," as it is called, the bodies of 

 horses, etc., that have been killed. They swim broad 

 rivers also, and are said, like the royal tiger, to fight effec- 

 tively while in the water. Wood quotes Dr. Holder to 

 the effect that on one occasion a jaguar destroyed a horse, 

 dragged it to the bank of a large stream, swam across with 

 his prey, and finally conveyed it into the forest. The 

 writer in the " Encyclopaedia Britannica " refers to the 

 same story, but besides these authorities, this kind of an 

 exploit has not been recorded by any one. 



Darwin states that the jaguar prowhng at night is much 

 annoyed by foxes, that attend his movements and keep 

 up a constant barking. It is well known that jackals 

 follow or accompany lions under like circumstances, and 

 Darwin speaks of this parallel association as a " curious 

 coincidence." But the fox is in this case an interloper 

 like the other, an unwelcome hanger-on in expectation of 



