The Jaguar. 311 



headed to understand danger, is a formidable antagonist. 

 The raposa is seen only on the Middle Amazon, and very 

 rarely there. It has a long tapering muzzle, small ears, 

 bushy tail, and grayish hair. It takes to the water, for the 

 one we saw at Tabatinga was caught while crossing the 

 Amazon. Fawn-colored pumas, spotted jaguars, black ti- 

 gers, tiger-cats — all members of the graceful feline fami- 

 ly — inhabit all parts of the valley, but are seldom seen. The 

 puma, or panther, is more common on the Pacific side of 

 the Andes. The jaguar* is the fiercest and most powerful 

 animal in South America. It is marked like the leopard — 

 roses of black spots on a yellowish ground ; but they are 



Jaguar. 



angular instead of rounded, and have a central dot. There 

 are also several black streaks across the breast, which easily 

 distinguish it from its transatlantic representative. It is 

 also longer than the leopard ; indeed, Humboldt says he saw 

 a jaguar " whose length surpassed that of any of the tigers 



* The Tupi word for dog is yaguara, and for wolf, yngua-men, or old dog. 



