THE JAGUARONDI. 



55 



and not so exquisitely arranged. The whole body is some forty- one inches long, of which the tail 

 takes up about fourteen. 



The Colocolo is an extremely ferocious animal, and does great harm in the forests in which it 

 lives, where, amongst other things, it feeds largely on Monkeys. " On the banks of a river in Guiana, 

 an officer, having killed one of these Cats, stuffed it, and placed it to dry in the hinder part of the 

 boat in which he was travelling. One day they passed under some great trees, the branches of which, 

 hanging into the water, formed a resting-place for innumerable Monkeys, which approached the boat 

 with great curiosity, and seemed to take pleasure in following it as far as the trees would permit. On 

 this particular voyage, the Monkeys ran towards the boat as usual, but the sight of the stuffed fur 

 inspired them with such terror that they precipitately took flight, uttering cries of rage and terror. 



This observation shows clearly enough that Monkeys look upon the Colocolo as one of their most 

 terrible enemies." * 



THE JAGUARONDI.f 



This is a curious, long-bodied, short-legged animal (see next page), with a body almost as lithe and 

 lissom as a Weasel's. Like the Puma's, its head is small and well shaped, and its tail long ; but it is a 

 much smaller animal, not exceeding three feet in length, including the tail. Its colour is a dark grey- 

 brown, " each hair being greyish-black, very dark at the root, and entirely black between the root and 

 the point, which is of a dark-grey hue. This diversity of colour causes the Jaguarondi to appeal- 

 darker or lighter according to circumstances," that is,' according to whether, being in a placid condi- 

 tion, his hair is lying smooth and flat on the body, or whether, being excited, he erects it. 



The Jaguarondi lives in the thick forests of Brazil, Paraguay, and Guiana, where it always prefers 

 the most impenetrable thickets, and is never seen in the open country. It lives upon birds and small 

 Mammals, having a special fondness for fowls, which no amount of training will ever diminish. Even 

 when a domesticated Jaguarondi is chained up in a yard, it will " try a thousand shifts " to entice the 

 fowls into its neighbourhood, and will then suddenly leap on and devour them. 



* Brehm. 



f Fclis Jaguarondi, 



