436 



CLASS MAMMALIA. 



able for their magnitude, and the blackish tints of their 

 fur. 



That the species has become rare, in comparison with 

 former times, even where it is now most abundant, may 

 be sufficiently inferred from the Roman historian Pliny, 

 who tells us, that Quintus Curtius was the first who ex- 

 hibited many of them, at one time, in the Circus. Sylla 

 caused one hundred, all males, to engage together, for the 

 amusement of the people ; Pompey six hundred, of which one 

 hundred and fifteen were males ; and Csesar, four hundred. 



The same abundance continued also under the first Em- 

 perors ; Adrian often destroyed one hundred in the Circus ; 

 Antonine, on one occasion, one hundred ; and Marcus Au- 

 relius the like number on another. The latter exhibition 

 Eutropius considers as particularly magnificent, whence the 

 Baron infers, that the number of the species was then di- 

 minishing, though Gordian the Third had seventy, which 

 were trained ; and Probus, who possessed a most extensive 

 menagerie, had one hundred of either sex. 



A great deal of interesting matter might be added on the 

 subject of this species, which our need of brevity obliges 

 us to forego inserting. 



•The Puma (F. Concolor) is large, and uniformly yellow, 

 without mane or tuft to the tail. It is placed next to the 

 Lion, on account of its corresponding uniformity of colour. 

 It is called, by the Mexicans, Mitzli; in Peru, Puma; in 

 Brasil, Cuguaguarana, (the word Cougoua, is contracted 

 by Buffon from this latter barbarous appellation;) and 

 in Paraguay, Guazuara. The name by which it is most 

 generally known is that of the American Lion ; so called 

 from a distant similarity it bears to the Lion of the old 

 world, in the uniformity of colour before alluded to. It 

 seems the more necessary to advert to these synonymes, 

 because the name Cougoua, by which it is most commonly 

 known in Europe, particularly in France, appears, pro- 



