120 



THE BEASTS OF PREY. 



slender build, and the head is adorned with large, 

 wide ears, which give it the appearance of being 

 remarkably high. The fur is of a light tan color 

 with black bands on the back and spots on the sides. 

 It is a rather common Cat in South Africa, and is 

 also found in all grassy plains of the continent. Its 

 chief prey is smaller mammals, and especially poul- 

 try. When caught young it may be tamed by good 

 treatment, but adults usually retain their ferocity. 

 The fur is sold as "African Tiger-Cat," but does not 

 command a high price. 



AMERICAN FELINE ANIMALS, 



The next of kin to the Lion was formerly supposed 

 to be found among the New World Felidae, to which 

 we will now turn; but their slender body, shorter legs, 

 and small head devoid of beard and mane place the 









^♦s*?-^^*^ 



THE SEBVAL. One of the vices of this African Cat is that it preys upon birds and is an accomplished Chicken 



thief. It is therefore appropriately portrayed in the picture with a -bird as its victim. The characteristics of this Cat, the 

 slender body, black stripes and spots on the light (tan-colored) fur, and especially the large, long ears, are all well shown in 

 the illustration. {Felis servaL) 



uniformly colored New World Felidae on a much 

 lower plane than the Old World Cats. 



THE COUGAR, OR PUMA. 



The best known species of the uniformly colored 

 American Felidae is the Cougar, Silvery Lion or 

 Puma {Felis, concolor), commonly called "Panther" 

 in the United States, and having different local names, 

 among which are those of " Tiger," "Catamount" and 

 " Mountain Lion." His length is about forty inches, 

 the tail measures about twenty-five inches, and the 

 shoulder height is about twenty-five inches. The 

 dense, short, soft fur is more abundant under the body 

 than on the back. The prevailing color is tan-brown, 

 darkest on the spine, whitish on the under parts. 

 Above and below the eye there is usually a white 



spot. The head is gray and the tip of the tail is. 

 dark There is no difference in color between male 

 or female, but the cubs are totally different from their 

 parents. The tint of adult Pumas also varies with the 

 locality; those in South America are lighter, being- 

 nearly a silver-gray, while those confined to Mexico- 

 and the United States are of a dark tan color. 



Home and The Puma is very widely spread. He 

 Haunts of the is found not only all over South Amer- 

 Puma. ica, from Patagonia to New Granada, 

 but he extends over Mexico into the United States 

 and as far as Canada. In some localities the animal 

 is very common, in others it had already been nearly 

 exterminated in the last century, when Azara fur- 

 nished the first good description of it. 



The haunts of the Puma depend upon the nature 

 of the country. In sections well wooded he decid- 

 edly prefers forests to 

 plains; but his favorite 

 spots are edges of for- - 

 est and plains grown 

 with very high grass, 

 though he apparently ' 

 visits these latter only' 

 for hunting purposes; 

 at least, he always 

 makes for a forest, 

 when pursued by Men. 

 Still he is constantly 

 found in the pampas- 

 of Buenos Ayres, 

 where there are no for- 

 ests at all, and there 

 he hides very skill- 

 fully in the grass. He 

 seems to avoid banks 

 of streams and locali- 

 ties that are subject to • 

 inundations. Like 

 many of his family he 

 1 IS no particular den 

 lair. He spends 

 tl e day sleeping on 

 liees, in bushes or in 

 tl e high grass; in the' 

 "^ening and at night^ 

 ne goes forth to hunt. 

 He sometimes covers 

 great distances in a 

 single night, and' 

 sportsmen do not al-' 

 ways find him near the 

 place where he struck, 

 down his prey. 



Every movement of 

 the Puma is full of grace and vigor; he is said to- 

 make leaps of eighteen feet and more. His sight is 

 keenest in the dusk and by night, though bright sun- 

 shine does not seem to dazzle him. His sense of 

 smell is deficient, and his hearing extremely acute. 

 He exhibits courage only in the direst necessity; 

 and as a rule he flees before Men and Dogs. 



All smaller, weak mammals are his prey, 

 Deer, Sheep, young Calves, and Colts when 

 separated from their mothers. Even the fleet- 

 footed Monkeys have no immunity from his attacks, 

 for he holds sway in the trees as well as on the level 

 ground. Rengger once observed him hunting Monk- 

 eys. The flute-like tones of a few Capuchins had. 

 attracted the naturalist's attention, and he seized his 

 gun to kill a few of them. Suddenly the whole troop- 



Prey 

 of the 

 Puma. 



