STRENGTH OF THE JAGUAR. 277 
The jaguars we examined in a menagerie at 
Charleston had periodical fits of bad temper: 
one of them severely bit his keeper, and was 
ready to give battle either to the Asiatic tiger 
or the lion, which were kept in separate cages. 
The jaguar, according to D’Azara, can easily 
drag away a horse or an ox; and should an- 
other be fastened or yoked to the one he kills, 
the powerful beast drags both off together, not- 
withstanding the resistance of the terrified liv- 
ing one. He doves not conceal the residue of 
his prey after feeding: this may be because of 
the abundance of animals in his South Ameri- 
can haunts. He hunts in the stealthy manner 
of a cat after a rat, and his leap upon his prey 
is a very sudden, quick spring: he does not 
move rapidly when retreating or running. It 
is said that if he finds a party of sleeping trav- 
ellers at night, he advances into their midst, 
and first kills the dog, if there is one, next the 
negro, and then the Indian, only attacking the 
Spaniard after he has made this selection; but 
generally he seizes the dog and the meat, even 
when the latter is broiling on the fire, without 
injuring the men, unless he is attacked or is 
remarkably hungry, or unless he has been ac- 
“eustomed to eat human flesh, in which case he 
prefers it to every other kind. D’Azara says 
very coolly, “Since I have been here the ya 
24 
