THE JAGUAR. 145 



When "Doctor" received his daily food, he used to clutch and growl over it like a cat 

 over a mouse, but was sufficiently gentle to permit the meat to be abstracted. In order to 

 take away the animal's food, two. men were employed, armed with large sticks, one of whom 

 took his place in front of the Jaguar, and the other in the rear. When all was arranged, the 

 man in the rear poked " Doctor " behind, and, as he turned round to see what was the matter, 

 the man in front hooked away the meat with his stick. However the animal might growl over 

 its food, and snarl at any one who approached, it would become perfectly quiet and gentle as 

 soon as the cause of anger was removed. 



It was a very playful animal, and was as mischievous in its sport as any kitten, delighting 

 to find any one who would join in a game of romps, and acting just as a kitten would under 

 similar circumstances. As the animal increased in size and strength, its play began to be 

 rather too rough to be agreeable, and was, moreover, productive of rather unpleasant conse- 

 quences to its fellow voyagers. For, as is the custom with all the cat tribe, the Jaguar 

 delighted in sticking its talons into the clothes of its human playfellows and tearing them in a 

 disastrous manner. The creature was so amusing that no one could resist the temptation 

 of playing with it, and so the evil was remedied by docking the "Doctor's" claws of their 

 sharp points. 



This animal was about two years old when it was brought to England. Two years after 

 its arrival, Captain Inglefield went to see his old favorite, the "Doctor," and found that the 

 Jaguar recognized him in spite of the long interval of time, and permitted him to pat its head 

 and to open its mouth. 



In its native land, the Jaguar ranges the dense and perfumed forests in search of the 

 various creatures which fall victims to its powerful claws. The list of animals that compose 

 its bill of fare is a large and comprehensive one, including horses, deer, monkeys, capybaras, 

 tapirs, birds of various kinds, turtles, lizards, and fish ; thus comprising examples of all the 

 four orders of vertebrated animals. Nor does the Jaguar confine itself to the vertebrates. 

 Various shell-fish, insects, and other creatures fall victims to the insatiate appetite of this 

 ravenous animal. 



It seems strange that such powerful creatures as horses should be reckoned among the 

 prey of the Jaguar, for it would seem unlikely that the muscular force of the animal could be 

 equal to the task of destroying and carrying away so large a quadruped as a horse. Yet such 

 is truly the case ; and the Jaguars commit infinite havoc among the horses that band together 

 in large herds on the plains of Paraguay. A Jaguar has been known to swim across a wide 

 river, to kill a horse, to drag it for some sixty yards to the water side, to plunge it into the 

 stream, to swim across the river with its prey, to drag it out of the water after reaching the 

 opposite bank, and, finally, to carry it off into a neighboring wood. The natives of the country 

 where the Jaguar lives assert that even when two horses have been fastened to each other, the 

 Jaguar has been known to kill one of them, and to drag off the living and the dead horse in 

 spite of the strength of the survivor. 



These seem to be marvellous exploits, when the ordinary size of the Jaguar is taken into 

 consideration. But Humboldt, than whom is no better or more trustworthy authority, says 

 that he saw a Jaguar, "which in length surpassed that of all the tigers of India which I 

 had seen in the collections of Europe." 



The favorite food of the Jaguar when he can get it is the flesh of the various monkeys. 

 But to catch a monkey is not the easiest task in the world, and in general can only be achieved 

 by leaping upon the prey from a place of concealment, or by surprising the monkeys while 

 sleeping. Sometimes it is fortunate enough to get among a little band of monkeys before they 

 are aware of the presence of the dreaded foe, and then seizes the opportunity of dealing a few 

 fierce strokes of its terrible paw among the partly-awakened sleepers, thus dashing them to 

 the ground, whither it descends to feast at leisure on the ample repast. The fierce hoarse roar 

 of the Jaguar and the yells of terror that come from the frightened monkeys resound far 

 and wide, and proclaim in unmistakable language the deadly work that is going on among 

 the trees. 



Peccaries are also a favorite article of diet with the Jaguar, but he finds scarcely less 



