236 THE WILDERNESS AND JUNGLE 



This may possibly have been the case before it 

 knew the human race as well as it does now. 

 Like the jaguar of the pioneer days, it may 

 have been, as the Spaniards called it, amigo 

 del Crzstiano, but these friendly relations have 

 long since changed for the worse. It was also 

 said to weep when wounded. If it wept, it 

 was probably because it was hurt, but certainly 

 not, as old writers used to tell us, from grief at 

 man's unkindness. 



As, however, it is as a rule a gentle creature 

 in menageries, it may be that, unless ill-treated, 

 it would never dream of attacking man. A 

 puma may even make an affectionate pet, and 

 I remember a case of one, the property of an 

 Oxford undergraduate, getting loose one after- 

 noon, when its owner was playing football, and 

 costing him $ by way of compensation, after 

 which he reluctantly sent it to the Zoo. It is 

 perhaps the best climber of all the big cats 

 and a fine swimmer into the bargain. 



The jaguar, a larger and much fiercer animal, 

 measuring 9 feet with the tail, bears strong 

 resemblance to the Old World leopards, though 

 the spots are arranged in a different pattern and 

 the body colour is darker. There are also black 

 jaguars, but these are even more shy than the 

 commoner variety and are not so often bagged. 



The food of the jaguar consists of capybaras 

 (the largest living rodent), tapirs, and other 



