THE YAGOUARONDI. 



181 



Such creatures as are unfortunate enough to please the taste of the Puma, are nearly 

 always taken by surprise, and struck down before they are even aware of the vicinity of 

 their tawny foe. The Puma loves to hide upon the branches of trees, and from that 

 eminence to launch itself upon the doomed animal that may pass within reach of its active 

 leap and its death-dealing paw. 



While thus lying upon the branches, the creature is almost invisible from below, as 

 its fur harmonizes so well with the brown bark which covers the boughs, that the one can 

 scarcely be distinguished from the other. Even when imprisoned within the limits of a 

 cage, where the eye has no great range of objects for inspection, the Puma will often lie 

 so closely pressed against a shelf, or flattened upon the thick boughs which are placed 

 in its cell, that the cage appears at first sight to be empty, even though the spectator 

 may have come to it with the express object of inspecting the inhabitants. It may there- 

 fore be easily imagined how treacherous a foe the Puma may be when ranging at will 

 among the countless trees of an American forest. 



The flesh of this animal is said, by those who have made trial of it, to be a pleasant 

 addition to the diet scale, being white, tender, and of good flavor. When taken young, 



YAGOUARONDI. Leopardus Yagouarondi. 



the Puma is peculiarly susceptible of domestication, and has been known to follow its 

 master just like a dog. The hunters of the Pampas are expert Puma slayers, and achieve 

 their end either by catching the bewildered animal with a lasso, and then galloping off 

 with the poor creature hanging at the end of the leather cord, or by flinging the celebrated 

 bolas metal balls or stones fastened to a rope at the Puma, and laying it senseless 

 on the ground with a blow from the heavy weapon. 



The Puma is not the only example of a pardine animal which is destitute of the usual 

 pardine spots and stripes. 



The YAGOUARONDI possesses a fur of a nearly uniform color, without either spots or 

 streaks. Its color is rather a variable brown, sometimes charged with a deep black 

 tinge, and sometimes dashed with a slight freckling of white. When the animal is angry, 

 the white grizzly tinge becomes more conspicuous than when its temper is undisturbed. 

 The reason for this curious change of hue is, that each hair is alternately dark and 

 white, the tips being all black. If, therefore, the Yagouarondi is in a placid humor, 



