ALLEN : mammalia: felid^. 173 



hounds, but in the cold of winter would lie among them for warmth. 

 All of these cubs were those of Fc/is coiicolor puma. So long as they 

 were well fed they were docile, but when hungry their fierce nature reas- 

 serted itself. Mr. Cattle had finally to shoot the cub that belonged to 

 him. Mr. Waring, however, still had his at the time of my departure. 

 I heard these two killed a colt in the month of May." (Through Pata- 

 gonia, pp. 222-244.) 



" This," Mr. Prichard continues, " is the silver-gray variety of puma most 

 commonly met with in Patagonia. The distribution of this animal extends 

 over the entire country. ) It is to be found in the Cordillera as on the pam- 

 pas. . . . The number of pumas in Patagonia is very great, more so than 

 any zoologist has yet given an idea of. During one winter two pioneers 

 killed seventy-three near Lake Argentino. Near San Julian immense num- 

 bers are yearly destroyed, but lately, owing to the advent of settlers, they 

 are becoming less numerous. At Bahia Camerones, on the farm of Mr. 

 Greenshields, fourteen pumas were killed during the winter of 1900. 



"A female killed near Santa Cruz measured 6 ft. 10 in., and a male 

 killed near Lake Argentino 8 ft. i in. 



" The puma can easily be galloped down, as it rarely runs more than 

 300 yards or a quarter of a mile when pursued on horseback. It invari- 

 ably stands at bay with its back to a bush or a rock. 



" In strong contradistinction to the habit of the Felis onca (jaguar), F. 

 c. puma, when hunting, kills a number of animals from a flock or herd. 

 To one only of these kills, however, does it return, and it always makes 

 some pretense of burying the victim singled out for its meal, throwing 

 upon the body in many cases merely a small bunch of thorns. This 

 custom of the puma is frequently taken advantage of by the shepherds, 

 who poison the chosen carcass. The puma, ninety times out of a hun- 

 dred, makes its first meal upon the entrails of the victim or upon the thigh 

 inside of the groin. 



"The destruction wrought by pumas upon flocks of sheep is immense. 

 One animal killed upwards of 100 head from among a single flock. One 

 night alone its total amounted to fourteen. Another point in connection 

 with the predatory habits of the puma is that it will travel a long distance, 

 even as much as ten or twelve miles, after killing. 



"Its method of attack, judging from an examination of its victims, 

 appears to be to spring upon the shoulders of its quarry and to break its 



I 



