120 



THE BEASTS OF PREY. 



slender build, and the head is adorned with large, 

 wide ears, which give it the appearance of being 

 remarkably high. The fur is of a light tan color 

 with black bands on the back and spots on the sides. 

 It is a rather common Cat in South Africa, and is 

 also found in all grassy plains of the continent. Its 

 chief prey is smaller mammals, and especially poul- 

 try. When caught young it may be tamed by good 

 treatment, but adults usually retain their ferocity. 

 The fur is sold as "African Tiger-Cat," but does not 

 command a high price. 



AMERICAN FELINE ANIMALS. 



The next of kin to the Lion was formerly supposed 

 to be found among the New World Felidse, to which 

 we will now turn; but their slender body, shorter legs, 

 and small head devoid of beard and mane place the 



THE SERVAL. One of the vices of this 



thief. It is therefore appropriately portrayed in tr 

 slender body, black stripes and spots on the light ( 

 the illustration. (Felis serval.) 



uniformly colored New World Felidse on a much 

 lower plane than the Old World Cats. 



THE COUGAR, OR PUMA. 



The best known species of the uniformly colored 

 American Felidse is the Cougar, Silvery Lion or 

 Puma {Felis concolor), commonly called "Panther" 

 in the United States, and having different local names, 

 among which are those of "Tiger," "Catamount" and 

 " Mountain Lion." His length is about forty inches, 

 the tail measures about twenty-five inches, and the 

 shoulder height is about twenty-five inches. The 

 dense, short, soft fur is more abundant under the body 

 than on the back. The prevailing color is tan-brown, 

 darkest on the spine, whitish on the under parts. 

 Above and below the eye there is usually a white 



spot. The head is gray and the tip of the tail is: 

 dark. There is no difference in color between male 

 or female, but the cubs are totally different from their 

 parents. The tint of adult Pumas also varies with the 

 locality; those in South America are lighter, being 

 nearly a silver-gray, while those confined to Mexico 

 and the United States are of a dark tan color. 



Home and The Puma is very widely spread. He 

 Haunts of the is found not only all over South Amer- 

 Puma. j caj f r om Patagonia to New Granada, 

 but he extends over Mexico into the United States 

 and as far as Canada. In some localities the animal 

 is very common, in others it had already been nearly 

 exterminated in the last century, when Azara fur- 

 nished the first good description of it. 



The haunts of the Puma depend upon the nature 

 of the country. In sections well wooded he decid- 

 edly prefers forests to 

 / /-.>-:'■ plains; but his favorite 

 ■ ■ . ' . -■ ' - spots are edges of for- 



' est and plains grown 



. ; "' '*-.' - with very high grass, 

 • though he apparently 

 visits these latter only 

 gpv-*?"^ , for hunting purposes; 

 at least, he always- 

 •">:/ makes for a forest 



when pursued by Men. 

 Still he is constantly 

 found in the pampas 

 of Buenos A y r e s , 

 where there are no for- 

 ests at all, and there 

 he hides very skill- 

 fully in the grass. He 

 seems to avoid banks 

 of streams and locali- 

 ties that are subject to 

 inundations. Like 

 many of his family he 

 has no particular den 

 or lair. He spends 

 the day sleeping on 

 trees, in bushes or in 

 the high grass; in the 

 evening and at night 

 he goes forth to hunt. 

 He sometimes covers 

 great distances in a 

 single night, and 

 sportsmen do not al- 

 ways find him near the 

 place where he struck 

 down his prey. 



Every movement of 

 the Puma is full of grace and vigor; he is said to 

 make leaps of eighteen feet and more. His sight is 

 keenest in the dusk and by night, though bright sun- 

 shine does not seem to dazzle him. His sense of 

 smell is deficient, and his hearing extremely acute. 

 He exhibits courage only in the direst necessity; 

 and as a rule he flees before Men and Dogs. 

 P, ey All smaller, weak mammals are his pre}', 

 of the Deer, Sheep, young Calves, and Colts when 

 Puma, separated from their mothers. Even the fleet- 

 footed Monkeys have no immunity from his attacks, 

 for he holds sway in the trees as well as on the level 

 ground. Rengger once observed him hunting Monk- 

 eys. The flute-like tones of a few Capuchins had 

 attracted the naturalist's attention, and he seized his 

 gun to kill a few of them. Suddenly the whole troop 



it preys upon birds and is 

 ■d as its victim. The chara 

 d especially the large, long 



ed Chicken 

 lis Cat, the 

 ;11 shown in 



