

THE JAGUAR. 



173 



\J"n the first place, the tail is rather short in proportion to the size of its owner, and, when 

 the animal stands upright, only just sweeps the ground with its tip. Across the breast 

 of the Jaguar are drawn two or three bold black streaks, which are never seen in the 

 leopard, and which alone serve as an easy guide to the species. The spots, too, with which 

 its fur is so liberally studded, are readily distinguishable from those of the leopard by 

 their shape and arrangement. The leopard spots are rosette-shaped, and their out- 

 lines are rounded, whereas those of the Jaguar are more angular in their form. But 



JAGUAR.-Leopardus Oaca. 



the chief point of distinction is found in a small mark that exists in the centre of the 

 dark spots which cover the body and sides. In many instances, this central mark is 

 double, and, in order to give room for it, the rosettes are very large in proportion to 

 those of the leopard. Along the spine runs a line, or chain, of black spots and dashes, 

 extending from the back of the head to the first foot, or eighteen inches, of the tail. 



The color is not quite the same in all specimens. Many Jaguar skins have an 

 exceedingly rich depth of tinting, and are very highly valued, being worth rather more 



