JAGUAR, OR AMERICAN PANTHER. 



Felis onca. Lit 



PLATE XXV. THE JAGUAR. 



THE continents of Asia and Africa we have seen in- 

 habited by species beautiful from the rich and spotted 

 markings of their skins ; while their size and proportions 

 were still large and powerful. In the warmer parts of the 

 New World, we have a prototype, rivalling them in beauty, 

 and exceeding them in strength, but apparently filling the 

 same station in animal life. 



The Jaguar, or, as he is sometimes called, the American 

 Panther, inhabits the warmer parts of South America, 

 chiefly Paraguay and the Brazils, but is nevertheless found 

 from the most southern extremity to the isthmus of Darien. 

 It is one of the strongest and most powerful of the Felinae 

 after the Tiger ; and its thick and compact limbs and form, 

 independent of the difference in marking, at once distin- 

 guish it from the spotted or ringed Cats of the old world; 

 yet it is only within these few years that the distinctions 

 have been pointed out, the quotation of the plates of Buf- 

 fon, the copies that were afterwards made from them, gave 

 rise to considerable confusion between it and the Leopard. 



The markings of this animal vary very much, as may 

 be seen from the accompanying illustrations ; and after 

 much research in America, Major H. Smith has come to 

 the conclusion, that there are in reality two varieties, which 

 he characterizes under the titles of the Great and Lesser 

 Jaguar, the large species measuring about 2 feet 10 inokes 

 in height at the shoulder, the smaller one about 2 feet 2 

 inches. The lesser variety, of w r hich Major Smith has 

 given a figure, was of a paler, almost ashy color, the spots 

 few and very distinct. 



The Jaguar inhabits the forests, and seeks its prey by 



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