THE UttSON. 341 



Description, &c. 



to the place, and puts his head above water, then 

 the seducer makes an unerring spring at him, and 

 kills and drags him to some convenient place, 

 where he may devour him at leisure. 



These quadrupeds are excellent swimmers, and 

 cross the largest rivers with perfect facility. 

 The female produces only one young at a time, 

 which she generally hides in the trunk of some 

 hollow tree. 



Cougars are very numerous in Brasil, Para- 

 guay, and the country of the Amazons; and 

 there is reason to believe that the animal de- 

 scribed by some travellers under the name of 

 the ocorome, in Peru, and in the country of the 

 Iroquois, is a variety of this species. Buffon ob- 

 serves, that it may be easily tamed, and rendered 

 nearly as familiar as domestic animals. 



THE URSON. 



PLACED by nature in the desert part of 

 North America, this animal exists in a state of 

 independence, far from man; and never received 

 a distinct name, till the Comte de Buffon gave 

 him one, indicative of his sharp bristly nature. 

 He seems to resemble the coendou, or porcupine 

 in some few characters ; but differs from them 

 materially in other respects, and is also found ex- 

 clusively in the northern climates, while the 

 others are inhabitants of the south. 



