122 



THE BEASTS OF PREY. 



of Monkeys broke into a croaking cry and came 

 rushing in his direction. Dexterously the animals 

 swung from branch to branch, from tree to tree, ex- 

 pressing, in plaintive cries, their great terror. A 

 Puma was pursuing them, leaping from tree to tree. 

 He slipped through the tortuous branches, wound 

 with creeping vines, with most incredible agility, 

 making his way out on boughs until they bent with 

 his weight, and then jumping to another tree. 



When the Puma has seized his victim, he tears 

 open its neck, and laps its blood before he begins to 

 eat. He devours every part of a small animal; but 

 larger ones he eats only in part, usually the head, 

 neck and shoulders, and, according to Azara's obser- 

 vations, he covers up the remainder with straw or 

 sand. Frequently the slaughter of a single creature 



THE COUGAB OK PUMA. This -vicious beast is an American animal ranging from Canada to Patagonia, 



and in the United States is only found in forests or mountain fastnesses in the West and South. It is distinguished 

 from others of the Cat tribe by being of one color, with the exception, usually, of white spots above and below the 

 eyes. The picture represents a family row, evidently. The Puma in the background has captured a large bird and 

 the other wants it. There will be trouble. (Fclis concolor.) 



good: An Englishman, hunting wild Ducks m the 

 pampas, was creeping along on the ground towards 

 some birds. He had wrapped his head and body in 

 a poncho, so as to escape the notice of the birds. 

 Suddenly he heard a short, hoarse roar, and nearly 

 simultaneously something touched him. Quickly he 

 threw down his covering and to his great surprise ' 

 beheld a Puma at arm's length. The animal was 

 just as much astonished as he. It gazed at the 

 sportsman for some moments, slowly retreated a few 

 steps, stopped again, and then made its escape in 

 huge bounds. 

 The Puma Pumas captured old sometimes reject all 

 in food and prefer starvation to the loss of 

 Captivity, liberty; when very young cubs are cap- 

 tured they soon become thoroughly tamed. Some 



of them enjoy the liberty 

 housed 

 keep- 

 rub 

 then 

 m. 

 When petted, they purr 

 like Cats. Probably they 

 also do this when they 

 feel particularly comfort- 

 able. When displeased 

 they growl, but a roar 

 has never been heard 

 from them. 



Two tame Pumas that I 

 took care of always 

 greeted their friends with 

 a shrill whistle, the like 

 of which I never heard 

 from any other Cat. 

 There is one drawback to 

 a tame Puma; when he 

 has greaf affection for 

 his master and likes to 

 play with him, he hides 

 at his approach and then 

 jumps on him unexpect^g 

 edly, as tame Lions are 

 also wont to do. One 

 may easily imagine how 

 uncomfortable such an 

 ill-timed caress may be-: 

 come. 



The skin of the Puma 

 is only used in the north- 

 ern parts of America. In 

 some localities his flesh 

 is eaten and is said to be 

 very palatable, being ■ 

 similar in taste to that of 

 the Calf. 



does not content this sanguinary animal, and thus he 

 becomes a dangerous enemy to owners of flocks. 

 He never carries his victim far from the place at 

 which he killed it He rarely attacks animals larger 

 than Sheep; Horses, Mules and Cows are secure 

 from his attacks, as well as Dogs; although he fre- 

 quently prowls close to houses. 



Hunting Owing to his cruelty and the injury he 

 ttie does to the property of Man the Puma is 



Puma. being energetically exterminated. There 

 is no great danger in hunting him if one is cautious, 

 for even a wounded Puma is not much to be feared. 



Among the many stories illustrating the character 

 of this animal, the following seems to me to be very 



THE YAGUARUNDI. 



Description Nearest to the Puma stands the Yag 

 oftlie uarundi {Felis yaguarundi), a slender 



Yaguarundi. creature nearly resembling a Marten in 

 his long body and tail. The head is small, the eye 

 moderately large, the ears rounded, the fur short, 

 dense and of blackish gray-brown color; each hair 

 is of a gray-black hue at its root, then black and the 

 tip is brown. The female is always lighter in tinge. 

 The size is much smaller than that of the Puma, for 

 the body is only twenty-two inches long; the length 

 of the tail is nearly thirteen inches and the shoulder 

 height fourteen inches. 



