6o THE WORLD OF ANIMAL LIFE 



ing passion, after which he again submits to be helped on to the 

 cart. Many hunting leopards become exceedingly tame and show 

 the greatest affection for their keepers. 



THE JAGUAR. 



The Jaguar is to the New World what the tiger and the leopard 

 are to the old. It is somewhat larger than the leopard and smaller 

 than the tiger, and in appearance at least is fiercer than either. 

 Throughout the greater part of South and Central America it 

 reigns as undisputed King of the Forest, and in some cases is 

 almost as dangerous to man as the Bengal Tiger himself It can 

 climb as well as the leopard, is as clever a hunter, and is, in addition, 

 an accomplished fisherman. 



The jaguar fishes, like the cat, with its paw, and frequently 

 makes a meal of the turtle, which it dexterously turns on its back. 

 It is said that it does not hesitate at times to attack even the 

 crocodile and the alligator. On dry land the jaguar may be 

 victorious, but in the water its enemy, crocodile or alligator, has 

 an immense advantage, and after a time will probably pull it 

 into mid-stream and hold it under water until it is drowned. 



Another animal with which the jaguar frequently comes into 

 conflict is the peccary, a hog of very small size, but one of the 

 fiercest of its tribe. The jaguar is very fond of peccary, but as it is 

 usually to be found in herds and is absolutely fearless in attacking 

 any enemy, even man himself, and inflicting terrible wounds with 

 its short sharp tusks, the peccary is not an animal that can be 

 easily caught. The jaguar, however, falls back upon its skill as a 

 climber, seizes a straggler from the herd, and bounds into a tree. 

 The peccaries will surround the tree and keep the jaguar a close 

 prisoner for hours, but it sits patiently out of their reach and waits 

 until they are driven by hunger to disperse. 



The advantage is not always, however, with the jaguar. In one 

 case, after seizing a peccary in this way the assailant chose a tree 

 that was too low, its savage little enemies stormed its position and 

 literally ripped it to pieces with their tusks. 



