124 



THE BEASTS OF PREY. 



The Yaguarundi inhabits South America, between 

 Paraguay and Panama, and O. StoU has also found 

 him in southern Guatemala under the name of Gato 

 del Monte. 



Usually the Yaguarundi lives in pairs in a given 

 strip of land, and undertakes short journeys from 

 these headquarters. Not infrequently he shares his 

 hunting grounds with other couples, contrary to 

 the habits of Felidse in general. Rengger's Dogs 

 once found six Yaguarundis in one hedge. He does 

 not attack Men, and hunting him is not fraught 

 with any danger. He scarcely ever defends himself 

 against Dogs and is also caught in traps. 



Rengger kept several Yaguarundis that were capt- 

 ured young. They were as tame as the gentlest of 

 domestic Pussies, but their Poultry-stealing propen- 

 sities were such that he could not allow them the 

 freedom of the premises. 



THE JAGUAR. 



The Jaguar {Felis onza) is the largest, strongest 

 and most ill-famed of all New World Felidse. Every 

 traveler has had some new tale to tell about him, 

 although it seems that old accounts exaggerated his 

 ferocity. It is easily explained that many stories 

 were believed to be true that were only founded on 

 current gossip, for the animal was but little known. 



The Jaguar shows more vigor than agility in his 

 frame, and his appearance is a little clumsy. The 

 body is not as long as that of the Leopard or Tiger, 

 and the limbs are proportionately shorter than theirs. 

 According to Rengger's statement a full-grown Jag- 

 uar measures fifty-eight inches from the tip of his 

 snout to the root of his tail, and the length of the 

 latter is twenty-seven inches. A. von Humboldt saw 

 several specimens which were as large as the Royal 

 Tiger. The average shoulder height is thirty-two 

 inches. The fur is short, thick, lustrous and soft, and 

 longer at the throat, on the breast and on the under 

 part than on the rest of the body. The ground color 

 as well as the spots are subject to great variations. 

 The majority have a tan colored body, except that the 

 inner side of the ears, the jaws, the throat, the under 

 part of the body and the inner side of the legs are 

 white. The fur is marked all over, either with small 

 black, circular, oblong, or irregularly shaped spots, 

 or with larger spots and rings edged around with 

 black or tan color, and having one or two black points 

 in the middle. On the inner side of the legs the 

 spots sometimes unite to form bands, and the end. 

 portion of the tail shows two or three full rings. All 

 varieties show a black spot at the corners of the 

 mouth. On the spine the spots merge into an irreg- 

 ular stripe, which divides in two on the buttocks. 

 More exact particulars can hardly be given, as no 

 two or three skins are. marked exactly alike. The 

 female shows a paler tint than the male, and her 

 spots are smaller and more dense. BJack Jaguars 

 are not a very great rarity. Their skins are so dark 

 thsvt the spots are hardly distinguishable. 



The variety in size, ground color and markings 

 must be considerable, and rather uniform in essen- 

 tials, as many naturalists recognize several distinct 

 species. 



Home and The name of " Jaguar " is taken from 

 Haunts of the the Guaran language, in which "Jaguar- 

 Jaguar. ette" signifies "body of a Dog." The 

 Spaniards call the animal "Tigre," the Portuguese 

 "Onca." The Jaguar extends from Buenos Ayres 

 and Paraguay all through South America to Mexico 

 and the southwestern part of the United States. 



Probably he is most common in the temperate re- 

 gions of South America, and least frequently found 

 in the United States, where the encroachments of 

 civilization have driven him farther and farther into- 

 retirement. He inhabits the wooded banks of 

 streams, edges of marshy woods and marshes grown 

 with grass and reeds over six feet high. He is sel- , 

 dom seen in a field or in the center of large woods, \ 

 and then only when he transfers his abode from one i 

 locality to another. Where dawn surprises him he 

 lies down and spends the day. 



The Jaguar In the morning dawn, or evening dusk, ' 

 Searching or in broad moonlight, the Jaguar sets 

 for Prey. forth on his travels, but never by day- 

 light, nor during very dark nights. All of the larger 

 kinds of vertebrates that he can get hold of he 

 preys upon. He is a formidable enemy in every 

 respect. His gait appears clumsy, but he moves 

 with the greatest ease and agility when circumstances 

 require it. His strength is exceedingly great for an 

 animal of his size, and may safely be compared to 

 that of the Lion and the Tiger. The senses are 

 acute and are of uniform development, except that 

 the smelling faculty is rather deficient, as is the case 

 with all Felidae ; and he seems perfectly endowed, 

 for a life of rapine. He is not fastidious in his feed- 

 ing. Azara found bristles of a Porcupine and Reng- 

 ger found parts of Rats in stomachs of Jaguars, so 

 that they evidently prey upon the smaller as well : 

 as the larger animals. The Jaguar lurks for birds 

 in the reeds, and very skillfully catches fish in the 

 water. A. von Humboldt says : " The Jaguar is the 

 most formidable foe of the Arrau-turtle, and follows ; 

 it to the place where it deposits its eggs on the 

 beach. In order to devour it more easily he turns 

 it over on its back. The Turtle is thus rendered 

 helpless, as it cannot regain its feet unassisted, and 

 as the Jaguar turns over many more. Turtles than he 

 can eat in one night the Indians often profit by his^ 

 industry. One cannot too much admire the dexter- 

 ity of the Jaguar's paw, with which he empties the 

 Turtle's shell, penetrating the double coat of. mail 

 with as much adroitness as if the tendons had been. ; 

 cut by a surgical instrument." 



"An experienced sportsman," says Rengger, "can 

 often observe the Jaguar, especially along water- 

 courses where he may be seen creeping up to the 

 bank in search of Otters. From time to time he 

 stops and looks attentively around ; but I never saw 

 him follow the spoor of game guided by his scent, 

 his nose on the ground. The patience and circum- 

 spection with which he approaches a victim are- 

 incredible. His movements are sinuous, like those- 

 of a Snake, and he often keeps quite still for a few 

 minutes, or makes wide circuits to approach his prey 

 from anothe;- and rnore advantageous side. When 

 he succeeds in approaching near enough, he jumps- : 

 on his victim with one, or sometimes two bounds, 

 fells it to the ground, lacerates its neck, and carries- 

 the agonized animal into the thicket." 



The Jaguar makes great ravages among herds- 

 and flocks. He especially preys upon young Cattle, 

 Horses and Mules. 



Methods He catches his prey as well in the 

 of the Jaguar's water as on terra firma, but he does- 

 Attack. i-iQj- attack animals on trees, although 



he climbs very well when pursued. A great many 

 stories, have been set afloat.about the way he catches 

 fish. Rengger gives us the following report : " I waS: 

 returning in my canoe from a T)uck hunt one sul- 

 try summer evening, when my Indian companions 



