THE COUGAR. 



Description. 



their eyes, by which means they become an easy 

 prey to the hunters. 



" We had one of these animals," says Gold- 

 smith, " some years ago, sent over from the 

 East Indies; but it was not able to endure the 

 change of climate, and it died in a very short 

 time after it was brought to the town." 



THE COUGAR. 



THE cougar, which may be justly pronounced 

 the most formidable and mischievous of all the 

 American animals, is longer, but more slender 

 than the jaguar: he has a small head, long tail, 

 and short hair, which is of a lively red colour, in- 

 termixed with a few blackish tints, particularly 

 on the back. He is neither marked with stripes 

 like the tiger, nor with spots like the panther, 

 ounce, or leopard. His chin, neck, and all the 

 lower parts of the body are of a dull white. 



Though not so strong as the jaguar, this animal 

 is equally ferocious, and perhaps more cruel : for 

 having seized his prey, he kills it, and without 

 waiting to tear it in pieces, he continues to eat 

 and suck alternately until he has gorged his ap- 

 petite and glutted his sanguinary fury. 



By the lightness of his body and the length of 

 his legs, the cougar seems better calculated for 

 speed and climbing of trees than the jaguar. 

 When glutted with food he is indolent and cow- 



