THE JAGUAR. I99 



in all specimens. In general it is of a bright tawny hue; across the 

 breast run two or three bold black streaks ; the rest of the body is 

 covered with spots somewhat angular in form, and increasing in size 

 from the head to the tail. These spots have a yellowish-red and black 

 border, and the centre of each displays one or two black points. Along 

 the back runs a line of black spots which m the last third of the tail form 

 rings. A black variety is sometimes found, the spots being still visible, 

 like the pattern in damask. 



The jaguar is found from Buenos Ayres and Paraguay through all 

 South America as far as Mexico, and has been seen in the United States 

 as far as the Red River in Texas. It is gradually becoming scarcer. It 

 haunts the wooded banks of streams, the edge of woods, and the bottom 

 lands where the tall grasses grow. During the daytime he sleeps in the 

 shade of the forest or in the long grass of the pampas. The morning 

 and evening twilight is the hour of his exertions, and then no animal 

 comes amiss to him. His strength equals that ot the lion or tiger, his 

 eye is sharp and flashing, his hearing excellent, his sense of smell, as in 

 all the cat tribe, only slightly developed. He attacks horses, deer, and 

 tapirs ; he has been known to swim across a wide river, to kill a horse, 

 drag it sixty yards to the water-side, then swim across the river with his 

 prey, drag it out of the water, and finally carry it off into a neighboring 

 wood. The natives assert that he has been known to kill one of two 

 horses that were fastened together, and drag off with the dead one the 

 living horse also, in spite of all its struggles. 



His powers of climbing like a cat make him a deadly foe to all the 

 monkey race, whom he usually tries to surprise when sleeping ; a few 

 sweeps of his paw knock the unfortunate quadrumana from their perch 

 to the ground, whither he then descends to banquet at his leisure. The 

 peccary is seldom attacked openly ; this courageous, sharp-tusked crea- 

 ture never hesitates to charge the powerful jaguar, and a herd of pec- 

 caries would Eoon make him repent of his rashness. 



It is said that the jaguar kills horses and larger animals in an ingenious 

 manner, which reflects great credit on his understanding. Leaping on 

 the shoulders of the doomed animal, he places one paw on the back of 

 the head, another on the muzzle, and then, by a tremendous wrench, dis- 

 locates the neck. His most remarkable feat, however, is the way iu 

 which he catches and kills the large turtles. Humboldt relates : " The 

 jaguar follows the turtle to the shore where she lays her eggs ; he 



