THE PUMA. XOl 



leader in every Tiger-hunt. One day the Commandante of the 

 district got twelve or fourteen men together, the Tiger-slayer 

 among them, and started in search of a Jaguar which had been 

 seen that morning in the neighbourhood of his ' estancia.' The 

 animal was eventually found and surrounded, and as it was 

 crouching among some clumps of tall pampas-grass, where 

 throwing a lasso over its neck would be a somewhat difficult 

 and dangerous operation, all gave way to the famous hunter, 

 who at once uncoiled his lasso and proceeded in a leisurely 

 manner to form the loop. While thus engaged, he made the 

 mistake of allowing his horse, which had grown restive, to turn 

 aside from the hunted animal. The Jaguar, instantly taking 

 advantage of the oversight, burst from its cover and sprang 

 first on to the haunches of the horse, then seizing the hunter 

 by his poncho, dragged him to the earth, and would no doubt 

 have quickly despatched him, if a lasso, thrown by one of the 

 other men, had not closed round its neck at this critical 

 moment. It was quickly dragged off, and eventually killed." 



The same writer tells that on another occasion a party of 

 Gauchos started a Jaguar on the pampas, which took refuge in 

 a patch of dry reeds. Being unable to lasso the animal, they 

 set fire to the reeds, in the natural expectation that it would 

 break covert. To their astonishment and disgust, the Jaguar, 

 however, whose eyes could be seen glaring among the reeds, 

 preferred to perish miserably in the flames and smoke, rather 

 than face an encounter in the open. 



VI. THE PUMA. FELIS CONCOLOR. 



Felts concolor, Linn., Mantissa Plantarum, p. 52 (1771); Elliot, 

 Monogr. Felidae, pi. ii. (1878-83); Mivart, The Cat, p. 

 397 (1881); True, Rep. U.S. Nat. Mus. 1888-89, PP» 

 591-608 (1891). 



Felts couguar, Lesson, Man. Mamm. p. 190 (1827). 



