THE LIFE OF MAMMALS 
shorter fur, and the tail being less full. Few, indeed, are the animals in a 
wild state that are unable to make a proper toilet, yet I have frequently 
killed these cats with the long, fluffy hair matted and soiled on the back, 
the matted locks being full of dead hair.” 
As to habits, Azara mentions that it feeds mainly on guinea 
pigs, but Mr. Melville says that it preys upon the small tina- 
mou, or ‘‘pampas partridge,” striking a ‘‘round” blow; ‘‘for” 
as he explains, ‘‘it is one of the distinguishing features of this 
cat that it can bend its forepaws back almost level with its 
body, catching thus its prey with a similar action to a round- 
hand bowler. delivering a ball on the cricket field, and does 
not pounce on its prey as does the tiger cat (margay) and the 
domestic species.” It remains always on the ground. Hud- 
son speaks of it as “inexpressibly savage” in disposition, but 
Melville’s experience is that it is easily domesticated and makes 
a charming pet with all the manners and graces of Puss, except 
that it fails to mew, uttering only short, sharp, guttural sounds. 
Two notable little cats remain to be mentioned, — the yaguar- 
undi and the eyra. Both are entirely unspotted and have very 
long tails and round pupils. The yaguarundi, found in for- 
ests from Brazil and Peru to northern Mexico, where it is called 
“leoncillo,” is about thirty inches long from snout to tail, while 
the tail adds twenty-five inches. It is very slender and short- 
legged, and varies in its uniform blackish gray hue (often red- 
dish) according to the worn condition of the hair, for each hair 
is ringed alternately with black and gray. Another pecul- 
iarity is the pinched appearance of the nose. It lives mostly 
in trees, and is an expert bird catcher and chicken thief. 
The eyra Mivart * declares ‘‘the most remarkable of all 
the cats from the extreme length of its body in comparison to 
that of its limbs — a condition which gives it some- 
what the appearance of a large weasel.’ It inhab- 
its all the American Tropics, northward to Texas, but is no- 
where numerous. It is about the size of a house cat, has fur 
104 
Eyra. 
