190 THE PAMPAS CAT. 
nothing so well as a plump fowl, and is unceasing in its visits to the henroost. It is so 
active and lithe an animal that it can climb over any palisade, and insinuate itself through 
a surprisingly small aperture ; and it is so wary and cautious in its nocturnal raids, that it 
generally gives no indication of its movements than that which is left next morning by 
tie vacant perches, and a few scattered feathers flecked with blood-spots. 
During the day it keeps itself closely hidden im the dark shades of the forests, sleeping 
away its time until the sun has set, and darkness reigns over its world. It then awakes 
from its slumber, and issues forth upon its destructive quest. On moonlight nights, how- 
ever, it cither stays at home, or confines its depredations to the hmits of its native woods, 
never venturing near the habitations of man. Stormy and windy nights are the best adapted 
for its purpose, as it is sheltered from sight by the darkness, and from hearing by the 
rushing wind, which drowns the slight sounds of its stealthy footsteps. On such “nights it 
behoves the farmer to keep a two- -fold watch, and see well to his doors and windows, or he 
may chance to find an empty henroost in the morning. 
In two years, no less than eighteen of these animals were ¢: aught by a land-owner 
within a space of five miles round his farm, so that their numbers must be truly great. 
They do not congregate together, but live in pairs, each pair seeming to appropriate its 
own hunting- eround, 
In captivity it is a singularly gentle, and even affectionate, animal, possessed of most 
engaging habits, and full of pretty gracefyl tricks. One of these creatures, which was 
captured by the above-mentioned land-owner, became so entirely domesticated that it was 
permitted to range at liberty. But, although so gentle and tractable towards its owner that 
it would sleep on the skirts of its master’s gown, its poultry-loving habits were too deeply 
implanted to be thoroughly eradicated, and it was quietly destructive among his 
neighbours’ fowls. This propensity cost the creature its life, for the irritated farmers 
caucht it in the very deed of robbing their henroosts, and killed it on the spot. 
The native name for the Chati is Chibiguazu. It was found by experimenting on the 
captured C A itis, that the flesh of cats and of various reptiles was harmful to their con- 
stitution. Cat’s-flesh gave them a kind of mange, which soon killed them, while that of 
snakes, vipers, and toads caused a continual and violent vomiting, under which they lost 
flesh and died, Fowls however, and most birds, were ravenously devoured, being caught 
by the head, and killed by a bite anda shake. The Chatis always stripped the “feathers 
from the birds before beginning to eat them. 
From the shorter heads, and other characteristics of the last few animals, it will be 
seen that we are rapidly approaching that type of the feline nature with which we are so 
familiar in the domestic cat. The PAmMpas Car mieht easily be mistaken for a rather 
large domestic cat which had run at large for some time, and assumed the fierce, suspi- 
cious demeanour of the wild animal. 
Its general colour is a yellowish grey, something like the tint which we call “sandy,” 
when it belongs to the fur of a domestic cat or the ccs of a human being. The body 
is covered with numerous brown stripes, admixed with yellow, which run at a very small 
angle with the line of the body. On each side of the face two bold streaks are drawn 
from the eye over the cheeks, the lower stripe running round the neck, and uniting with 
the corresponding stripe of the opposite side. Two or three dark streaks appear across the 
upper portion of the legs. The depth of tint appears to be variable in different individuals, 
and the markings present slight discrepancies, 
The fur of the Pampas Cat is extremely long, some of the hairs reaching a length of 
five inches. The tail is not very long, is well ont with bushy hai, and is devoid of 
the ring-like markings which are found in the same member im the ocelots. 
The natives of Buenos Ayres and its vicinity name the Pampas Cat “Gato Pajero,” the 
former word signifying a eat, and the latter being formed from the Spanish term “ paja,” or 
straw. It is so called because it frequents the jungles or reeds, and by the English 
residents is often termed the Jungle Cat. It is spread over a very large space of country, 
being found on the whole of the Pampas which are spread on the eastern side of South 
America, a range of some fourteen hundred miles. The food of the Pampas Cat consists 
