446 Bulletin American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XX, 



39. Felis jonca Linn. Not represented in the collection 

 A specimen was obtained at Dibulla by Mr. Brown (Bangs, 

 Proc. N. Engl. Zool. Club, I, 1900, p. 99). 



"JAGUAR (called tigre). This animal is quite common, 

 ranging from sea-level to 6000 feet at least ; but possibly those 

 found in the mountains are another form. All over tropical 

 America the hunters recognize two kinds of jaguars; their 

 testimony is unanimous and I am inclined to think they are 

 right. It is noteworthy that this distinction was recognized 

 by the aborigines, at least those of the Tupi-Guarany stock, 

 and they had two names, jagudra and jagudra pacoua-sororoca, 

 the latter meaning 'jaguar of the wild plantain,' because it 

 frequents places where the plant grows. The jagudra is 

 almost exclusively a highland form ; the other is more common 

 along the rivers, especially on the great flood-plains like those 

 of the Orinoco, Amazon, and Paraguay; this kind takes to the 

 water readily and may often be seen swimming across broad 

 rivers, as I have noted more than once. This, also, is the 

 kind that is said to catch fruit-eating fish, attracting them by 

 rapping the water to imitate falling fruit, and then knocking 

 them out with its paw; once, when I was canoeing at night 

 on one of the Amazonian channels, a sound as of dropping 

 fruit was heard, and the Indian crew said it was a jaguar 

 fishing ; a gentleman who was with me said that he had heard 

 the sound before, and had no doubt that the Indians were 

 right. I mention this because the story has been published 

 by various travellers, and has been regarded as a 'yarn.' In 

 fact, there is nothing impossible about it ; the pacu fish will 

 come to such sounds and the ruse is used in catching them. 



"According to the hunters, the two kinds of jaguar are of 

 about the same size, but the highland form is rather more 

 slender, with longer legs; they aver that it can be readily 

 recognized by its cry. They say also that it is difficult or im- 

 possible to distinguish the skins of young animals, but that in 

 the adults, the pacoua-sororoca has larger spots, distinctly 

 arranged in 'roses' ; in the jaguara the spots are smaller and 

 more evenly distributed. The Santa Marta hunters speak 

 of the two kinds, but have no distinctive names. The black 



