THE JAGUAR. 97 



Jaguar is commonly known as the Tiger (Tigre Of the 

 Spaniards). 



In Paraguay, writes Darwin, " 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 the 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 they live chiefly 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, how- 

 ever, 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 Santa Fe, two padres entering one after 

 another 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 un- 

 roofed. 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 carcase, they 

 seldom return to it. The Gauchos say that the Jaguar, when 

 wandering about at night, is much tormented by the Foxes yelp- 

 ing as they follow him. . . . The Jaguar is a noisy animal, 

 roaring mudi by night, and especially before bad weather." 



In Uruguay trunks of trees were observed by the same 

 traveller to be marked with scorings made by the claws of 



* An aquatic Rodent, the largest living lepresentative of its Order, and 

 the sole member of the genus Hydrocharus. 



7 H 



