Puma 401 



piercing screams, probably in most cases only during the pairing-season.' 

 This cry, which is repeated several times, is generally uttered in the early 

 evening, and discontinued as the shades of night increase in intensity. 

 On one occasion, at least, it has been heard when the animal was attacked 

 by dogs. 



Having said thus much with regard to the puma in general, its various 

 local races may be briefly passed in review. 



The puma inhabiting Colombia and Central America may be taken as 

 the typical representative of the Felis concolor of Linnaeus -^ ; this form 

 extending about as far as lat. 25° S. As compared with the under- 

 mentioned North American forms, the typical puma is remarkable for its 

 small bodily size, thus conforming to the general rule that the represent- 

 atives of a widely spread species gradually diminish in stature as we 

 pass from North to South America. 



The general colour of the upper-parts is some shade of reddish fiwn. 

 In addition to its small dimensions, the skull of this race is characterised 

 by the flat and unswollen frontal region, the slight downward curvature of 

 the processes forming the hinder border of the sockets of the eyes, and the 

 low median (sagittal) crest. All the teeth, too, are relatively small and 

 weak ; the development of the tubercle on the inner side of the upper 

 carnassial being slight. Mr. Bangs observes that, roughly speaking, the 

 skull of this race resembles that of a large ocelot more than it does 

 the skulls of the North American pumas. 



1 See P. Fountain, The Great Deserts and Forests of 'North America (1901). 

 "- See O. Bangs, Proceedings Biological Societ'^ of Waslnngton, vol. xiii. p. 15 (1899). 



3 f 



