T I G 



443 



T I G 



Felis mills. 



in the Paris menagerie, and was procured from a dealer ii 

 Brest. Locality. South America. 



Desmarest and others identity this animal with the Chi 

 biijuazu of D'Azara. Temminck, who received a skii 

 from Rio de Janeiro, considers it distinct. 



D'Azara's description conies very near to that above 

 given as far as colouring is concerned ; but lie gives tin 

 average length as three feet six inches; the individual 

 which he described, the largest male lie hail seen, was foui 

 feet all but an inch in length ; tail thirteen inches; height 

 at shoulders one foot and a half, and behind one foot seven 

 inches and a half. It was so fat that immediately aftei 

 death it weighed five-aiid-thirty pounds ; the females, he 

 arc rather 



The same acute observer, speaking of his ftlribigwi, 

 remarks that some of the Guaranese call the domestic 

 cat Clubi, and others Mbrac.nyd. In the same manner, he 

 says, some gi\c the wild animal of which he is treating 

 the name of Chibi-guuzu, and others that of M/nintcayd- 

 lit; both appellations signifying Gi- Many 



Spaniard*, he add.-,, call it (iiizu 'Ounce,. 



He states that the species is so common, that his friend 

 Nosed* captured eighteen individuals in two years, within 

 two leagues of his jiueblo ; but he adds that, notwith- 

 standing this abundance, few are acquainted with it, the 

 huntsman and docs never falling in with it, and being 

 unable to penetrate to it.- haunts : he very much doubts 

 whether any quadruped hides itself more effectually. He 

 describes it as remaining by day in the most impenetrable 

 places, and as coming forth after dusk, especially on dark 

 stormy nights, when the chibignazus daringly enter the 

 corrals and court -yards, though no instance is known of 

 their detection by the dogs. When the moon shines they 

 abstain from visiting inhabited spots, and never are trapped : 

 to lie in wait for them with a gun is hopeless, so sharp a 

 look-out do they keep. They carry oft domestic fowls 

 from trees which they climb, sometimes six in one night, 

 and often leave several dead. Men and dogs are avoided 

 by them with extreme caution, and each pair is supposed 

 to live in a separate district, for a male and female, and no 

 linn e, are always caught in the same place. Noseda formed 

 a trap of strong stakes, with three divisions : in the middle 

 dmsion he placed a white fowl, so that it might not only 

 be heard but seen at a distance : the other divisions were 

 ..iiied as to shut by the falling of the planks as soon 

 as the cliibiguazus entered. This trap was set in the 

 place.-, to which they resorted for prey, and those caught 

 were turned into a great den in Noseda's court-yard. Some 

 uf these cot away, and were taken again two or three times 

 in the same trap : they were recognised by ear-marks and 

 other proofs: D'Azara infers from this that the idea of 

 danger was obliterated from their recollection by their 

 pos.-ess the fowl. He remarked that all which 

 were kept in the den deposited their excrements in their 

 drinkirnr-place. and when he substituted a narrow-necked 

 jug to prevent this, they mounted to its edge for that pur- 

 . and never missed th" vessel or its immediate neigh- 

 bourhood. Nearlv the whole day was spent by them 

 up in a ball, and, when a chibiguazu wished to 

 stretch hiniitelf. In- first licked the one at his side. When 

 straw was put into their den, or so that, they could reach it 

 by thrusting their paws through the bars, it. was always 

 found tliat on the day following they had placed it in a 



heap, after having divided it into bits some quarter of an 



inch long, and on this they reposed. The small sticks and 

 twigs with which the inside of their den was furnished 



were broken and torn to pieces in like manner. Twilight 

 and mght were passed in pacing to and fro close to the 

 sides ot their den ; and if crossed or interrupted by an- 

 other, they fuffed and gesticulated like an angry cat but 

 without, using their paws. They never quarrelled, unless 

 they were very much irritated, and then they struck at 

 each other with their fore-paws. They devoured live 

 pounds of flesh per day when first caught, hut afterwards 

 three sufficed. A portion was prepared for each of the 

 twelve or fourteen individuals confined, and they took it 

 with their paws according to the length of time they had 

 been there, without any interference on the part of the 

 others. It' however the animal whose turn it was did not 

 take his portion, or disregarded it, another immediately 

 snatched at it without any defence on the part of the right 

 owner except by sneezing, and sometimes by blows with 

 its fore-paws. A walk was made for them, enclosed by a 

 sort of hurdle, so that rats, fowls, ducks, or young dogs 

 could be introduced into it : upon opening the cage it was 

 observed that usually one only went out for each victim, and 

 almost always according to the order of their confinement. 

 Cats and dogs they seized with their mouth by the nape 

 Of the neck, overlaid them, and then kept them so that 

 they could not stir, till they were dead. Cats' flesh ap- 

 peared to produce the mange, fretting the chibiguazus, 

 making them mew like cats, and at last destroying them. 

 Snakes, vipers, and toads were also eaten by them, but 

 this diet occasioned violent and continual vomiting; they 

 wasted to skeletons, and died in a few days. If the dog 

 introduced equalled them in size, they touched him not, 

 for it appears that they do not assist each other. If a 

 chibisruazu cannot master any prey alone, he leaves it. 

 Birds were caught by the head and neck, and thoroughly 

 stripped of their feathers before they were eaten. No 

 unnecessary cruelty was manifested. Noseda observed 

 that one did not kill a fowl put into his den till the third 

 day. D'Azara and his friend frequently closed the doors 

 of the yard, and opened the den that the ehibiguazus 

 might leave it: those most lately caught went iirst : and 

 sometimes the old ones would not go out even when their 

 len was entered that it might be swept. They were left 

 at liberty for several hours, during which they examined 

 every crevice, and then lay down to sleep. When boys 

 persecuted them with sticks, they retreated to their den 

 without turning on their persecutors, even when severely 

 jeaten. A male on one occasion becoming very lazy, on 

 utering his den he was abused and bitten by l)'is Cemale, 

 is it' to punish him. Some individuals were incarcerated 

 'or more than a year without exhibiting any sign of love. 

 T n the night their eyes shone like those of a domestic cat, 

 aid they resembled that animal in their form and habits, 

 n lying down, licking and cleaning themselves, washing 

 heir faces with their paws, flitting, sneezing, in fact in 

 every way. D'Azara concludes by stating that his friend 

 aught a young one, and it. became so thoroughly tame 

 hat it. slept in the skirts of his clerical gown, and went 

 ibout loose. He affirmed that no animal could be more 

 ractable : but it devoured the poultry of his neighbours, 

 nd they killed it. 



Felis 1'iiji'ros. The Pampas Cat, Pajero, or Jungle- 



l)< -.rriji/i'i/i. Fur of great length : longer hairs of the 

 jack upwards of 3 inches, and those of the hinder part of 

 lie back from 4J to 4J inches in length. General colour 

 >ale yellow-grey. Numerous irregular yellow or some- 

 imes brown stripes running obliquely from the back along 

 he sides of the body. On each side of the face two stripes 

 f yellowish or cinnamon commencing near the eye, and 

 xtending backwards and downwards over the cheeks, on 

 le hinder part of which they join, and form a single liiu , 

 vhich encircles the lower part of the throat. Tip of the 

 iiizzle and chin white; a spot in front of the eje, and a 

 ne beneath the eye, of the same colour; belly, inner side 

 nd hinder part, of fore-legs, white also. An irregular !>!:, 

 ne running across the lower part of the chest, and extend- 

 ig over the base of the fore-legs externally : above this 

 ne two other transverse dark markings more or less dc- 

 ued on the chest. On the fore-legs three broad black 

 ands, two of which encircle the leg : on the posterior legs 

 jout five black bands externally, and some irregular dark 



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