THE AGUARA GUAZU. 



THE Payaguas Indians give this red wolf the name of Pawpa^i, ;m<l the Chilians that of Culpen. In 

 Moxos it goes by the appellation of Ocorome. The length of an adult male is exactly five feet, that of 

 the tail nineteen inches, the hairs being tour inches long. Its height is little short of three feet. The 

 mane commences at the occiput, and continues erect till beyond the shoulder. It is red in the first 

 half of each hair, and black in the remainder towards the tip. The hair all over the body, except the 

 lower part of the fore legs, is very long. D'Azara states that it is neither completely flattened nor 

 very rough, and would make good carpets. The hair of the tail is rather busliv, and of the same 

 length as on the body. 



D'Azara caught four males at different times, which were identical, the smallest towards the end 

 of September, which appeared to him to have been whelped at the end of July, or the beginning of 

 August. His friend, Noseda, caught another afterwards, about two months old, and, in the hope of 

 domesticating it, fed it on raw beef, which it was unable to digest, and which caused its death. 



D'Azara and Noseda caught another subsequently, about three months old, and gave it raw beef but 

 seldom ; yet this, and cooked meat afterwards tried, was not digested. This aguara got loose from 

 its chain and escaped. During its short captivity, if any one approached, it growled and barked like 

 a dog, but more vehemently and confusedly. It drank by lapping, and, when feeding, trod on the 

 flesh, which it tore to pieces with its teeth. This animal was fond of rats, sugar-cane, oranges, eggs 

 and small birds ; but did not appear to be attracted by the poultry, which sometimes passed within its 

 reaeli, without its attempting to pounce upon them. 



D'Azara also states that, when wild, they do not commit havoc on the birds or smaller flocks; 

 and as they inhabit only the extensive lowlands and marshes of Paraguay as far a.s the river I'lnta, 

 and near its mouth, he has no doubt that they feed on rats, guinea-pigs, small birds, and certain 

 vegetables, if these fall in their way; but chiefly on snails, toads, frogs, and other reptiles, and on the 

 land-crabs, which are abundant in the plains and sandbanks. They walk with very long paces, run 

 much, and are great plunderers, although they always fly from man, and even from dogs. They are 

 solitary in their habits, and are said to swim well ; and in their wild state to litter no sound but 



* D'Azara. Canis jubatus Cuvier. The Loup Rouge of the French. The Canis campestris of the Prince de Wied ; and 

 the Maned Aguara, Chrysocyon jubatus, of Smith. 



