STRENGTH OF THE JAGUAR. 277 



The jaguars we examined in a menagerie at 

 Cliarleston had periodical fits of bad temper: 

 one of them severely bit his keeper, and was 

 ready to give battle either to the Asiatic tiger 

 or the lion, which were kept in separate cages. 



The jaguar, according to D'Azara, can easily 

 drag away a horse or an ox; and should an- 

 other be fastened or yoked to the one he kills, 

 the powerful beast drags both off together, not- 

 withstanding the resistance of the terrified liv- 

 ins: one. He does not conceal the residue of 

 his prey after feeding : this may be because of 

 the abundance of animals in his South Ameri- 

 can haunts. He hunts in the stealthy manner 

 of a cat after a rat, and his leap upon his prey' 

 is a very sudden, quick spring: he does not 

 move rapidly when retreating or running. It 

 is said that if he finds a party of sleeping trav- 

 ellers at night, he advances into their midst, 

 and first kills the dog, if there is one, next the 

 negro, and then the Indian, only attacking the 

 Spaniard after he has made this selection ; but 

 generally he seizes the dog and the meat, even 

 when the latter is broiling on the fire, without 

 injuring the men, unless he is attacked or is 

 remarkably hungry, or unless he has been ac- 

 customed to eat human flesh, in which case he 

 prefers it to every other kind. D'Azara says 

 very coolly, " Since I have been here the ya- 

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