174 THE JAGUAR. 



than three pounds. They are chiefly used for military purposes, such as the coverings 

 of officers' saddles in certain cavalry regiments. Sometimes, a black variety of the 

 Jaguar is found, its color being precisely similar to that of the Black Leopard, men- 

 tioned on page 169. 



The whole fur seems to take the tint of the dark spots, while the spots themselves 

 are just marked by a still deeper hue. Probably, the cause of this curious difference 

 in tint may be, that in the blood of the individual Jaguar there exists a larger quantity 

 than usual of iron, which metal, as is well known, is found to form one of the constitu- 

 ents of blood. It can be extracted in the metallic form, and resembles very fine sand. 

 In the human blood, late researches have discovered that the blood of the negro is 

 peculiarly rich in iron, and it seems but reasonable that a similar cause will account 

 for the very great variation in the leopard's and Jaguar's fur. 



This beautiful animal is familiar to us through the medium of many illustrated works 

 on natural history, and also on account of the numerous species which have been trans- 

 mitted to this country. One of these creatures, which was brought to England by Cap- 

 tain Inglefield, and placed in the collection of the Zoological Gardens, was so gentle 

 and docile, that it directly controverted the once popular notion that the Jaguar is an 

 irreclaimable and untameable animal. It was a general pet on the voyage, and, from an 

 account of its proceedings while on board ship, I am indebted to Captain Inglefield 

 himself. 



The Jaguar was named " Doctor," and was as well acquainted with its name as any 

 dog. It was at times rather lazy, and loved to lie at full length on deck, and stretch 

 its limbs to their full extent. It was so perfectly tame that Captain Inglefield was 

 accustomed to lie down by the side of the spotted favorite, using its body as his pillow. 

 When the vessel arrived in harbor, and people were anxious to view the Jaguar, the 

 creature walked to the stable where it was to be exhibited, merely being led by its chain. 

 It was a remarkable circumstance, that, although the animal was so entirely tame and 

 gentle towards men, and would let them pull it about in their rough play, it could never 

 be trusted in the presence of a little child, nor of a dog. In either case, the animal 

 became excited, and used to stretch its chain to its utmost limit. 



Uncooked meat was never permitted in its diet, and, except in one or two instances, 

 when the animal contrived to obtain raw flesh, it was fed exclusively on meat that had 

 been boiled. One of these exceptional cases was rather amusing. 



At Monte Video, the admiral had signalled for the captains of H. M. ships to come 

 on board and dine with him. His cook was, of course, very busy on the occasion, and 

 more especially so, as there was at the time rather a scarcity of fresh provisions. The 

 steward had been making the necessary arrangements for the entertainment, and came 

 on board carrying a leg of mutton and some fowls. Just as he stepped on deck, the 

 Jaguar bounced out of his hiding-place, and, clutching the meat and fowls out of the 

 steward's hands, ran off with them. The fowls were rescued by the Captain, who got 

 them away from the robber undamaged, with the exception of their heads, which had 

 been bitten off and eaten, but the mutton was past reclaiming, and so, to the great 

 disgust of the cook and steward, the bill of fare had to be altered. 



When " Doctor " received his daily food, he used to clutch and growl over it like a 

 cat over a mouse, but was sufficiently gentle to permit the meat to be abstracted. In 

 order to take away the animal's food, two men were employed armed with large sticks, 

 one of whom took his place in front of the Jaguar, and the other in the rear. When 

 all was arranged, the man in the rear poked " Doctor " behind, and, as he turned 

 round to see what was the matter, the man in front hooked away the meat with his 

 stick. However the animal might growl over its food, and snarl at any one who 

 approached, it would become perfectly quiet and gentle as soon as the cause of anger 

 was removed. 



It was a very playful animal, and was as mischievous in its sport as any kitten, 

 delighting to find any one who would join in a game of romps, and acting just as a 

 kitten would under similar circumstances. As the animal increased in size and strength, 

 its play began to be rather too rough to be agreeable, and was, moreover, productive 

 of rather unpleasant consequences to its fellow-voyagers. For, as is the custom with 



