270 AUDUBON THE NATURALIST, 
needed, to repair damages. When turned lonse 
in the yard in the day-time he would at times 
slap his tail twice or thrice on the brick pave- 
ment, after which he elevated this member from 
the ground, and walked about in an extremely 
awkward manner. He fell ill soon after we had 
svceived him, and when killed, was examined by 
Dr. James Trudeau, who found that he would 
shortly have died of an organic disease. 
It is stated by some authors that the beaver 
feeds on fish. We doubt whether he possesses 
this habit, as we on several occasions placed fish 
before those we saw in captivity, and although 
they were not very choice in their food, and 
devoured any kind of vegetable, and even bread, 
they in every case suffered fish to remain un- 
touched in their cages. 
THE JAGUAR, 
ALIKE beautiful and ferocious, the jaguar is 
of all American animals unquestionably the 
most to be dreaded, on account of its combined 
strength, activity, and courage, which not only 
give it a vast physical power over other wild 
creatures, but enable it frequently to destroy 
man. 
Compared with this formidable beast, the 
