BROOD-CARE AMONG MAMMALS 



167 



pursuit of their prey, but usually have permanent headquarters 



which they use by day if they are nocturnal, or at night if they 



hunt by day. The lair is in a well-concealed place, capable of 



defence, in the middle of a thick forest-brake, or 



in dense reeds, or in a rocky recess in the side of 



a hill, or in a hole, burrow or hollow tree. In 



captivity, the mothers always retreat to the 



darkest corner of their enclosure to bring forth 



their young, and one of the necessities for 



successful breeding is to provide a 



suitable shelter for this purpose. 



It is often useful to provide two, 



for the mother, even if she be 



not disturbed, is restless 



after the cubs are born, 



and frequently will 



carry them from one 



place to another 



until she finds 



a nook to her 



liking. It 



is in 



the 



first 



few days 



that the 



young run 



the greatest 



risk of being 



eaten by the 



mother. A 



bed of soft 



dry earth, 



of leaves 



or litter, 



is f r e - Jv 



quently scraped up beforehand. When pumas live in a place 



where there are not natural caves or rocky recesses they make 



a lair of twigs and moss in some dense thicket, with an overarching 



roof of evergreen canes. The early days of all carnivores are 



spent in a nursery of this kind, and the mother takes scrupulous 



30. Ring-tailed Lemur carrying 

 its young. (After POCOCK.) 



