THE JAGUAR 75 



is also more heavily built, especially about the head and paws, and it 

 is, indeed, the most strongly framed of all the Cats. In size it equals 

 the largest Leopards, and indeed often exceeds them, being the third 

 most powerful of its family. In some cases it is said almost to rival 

 the Tiger in size, and, as remarked above, usurps the name of that 

 animal in South America, Black Jaguars occur, just as black Leopards 

 do, as casual sports, and they are similarly credited with being especially 

 ferocious in disposition. 



The Jaguar is chiefly confined to the forest regions of America, and 

 to warm climates, not ranging farther north than Mexico; it used, 

 however, to inhabit the Pampas of Argentina, though never so numerous 

 there as the Puma, and now almost extinct. Although such a heavy 

 animal, it is a skilful climber, and is sometimes found in such impene- 

 trable parts of the Amazonian forests that it has perforce to hunt 

 monkeys and such-like prey in the trees, being unable to get about on 

 the ground. It has a strong liking for the vicinity of water, and not 

 only takes to that element quite readily, but preys on aquatic animals 

 more than any other large Cat, lying in wait for large fish, fresh-water 

 Porpoises, and Otters, and being a deadly foe of the great fresh-water 

 Tortoise (Podocnemis expansa\ whose meat it skilfully scrapes out of 

 the shell with its paw. One of its most common victims is the 

 Capybara (Hydrocluxrus capybara}, but even the American Tapir 

 does not escape it, and it will overcome full-grown cattle and horses 

 also. Besides this, it attacks birds, and is altogether even more 

 versatile in its hunting than the Leopard in the Old World. Some- 

 times man falls a victim to it, and the anecdote related by Danvin, of 

 the Jaguar which found its way, being driven from its haunts by a 

 flood, into a church at Santa Fd in Paraguay, and killed two of the 

 officiating priests one after another, is well known. 



The note of the Jaguar is unlike that of the Leopard, being a sort 

 of repeated short grunting roar, much like the concluding short notes 

 of the roar of the Lion ; it is most frequently to be heard in the 

 breeding season. As in the case of the Leopard, the cubs have rougher 

 fur with less well-defined markings than the adults; they seem to be 



