1833. | HABITS OF THE JAGUAR. 135 
about four feet above the level of the river; but during the 
periodical floods they are inundated. They all present one cha- 
racter; numerous willows and a few other trees are bound to- 
gether by a great variety of creeping plants, thus forming a thick 
jungle. These thickets afford a retreat for capybaras and 
jaguars. The fear of the latter animal quite destroyed all plea- 
sure in scrambling through the woods. This evening I had not 
proceeded a hundred yards, before finding indubitable signs of 
the recent presence of the tiger, I was obliged to come back. 
On every island there were tracks; and as on the former excursion 
“el rastro de los Indios” had been the subject of conversation, so 
in this was “el rastro del tigre.” 
The wooded banks of the great rivers appear to be the favourite 
haunts of the jaguar ; but south of the Plata, I was told that they 
frequented the reeds bordering lakes : wherever they are, they seem 
to require water. -Their common prey is the capybara, so that 
it is generally said, where capybaras are numerous there is little , 
danger from the jaguar. Falconer states that near the southern 
side of the mouth of the Plata there are many jaguars, and that 
they chiefly live on fish; this account I have heard repeated. 
On the Parana they have killed many wood-cutters, and have 
even entered vessels at night. There is a man now living in the 
Bajada, who, coming up from below when it was dark, was seized 
on the deck; he escaped, however, with the loss of the use of 
one arm. When the floods drive these animals from the islands, 
they are most dangerous. I was told that a few years since a 
very large one found its way into a church at St. Fé: two padres 
entering one after the other were killed, and a third, who came 
to see what was the matter, escaped with difficulty. The beast 
was destroyed by being shot from a corner of the building which 
was unroofed. They commit also at these times great ravages 
among cattle and horses. It is said that they kill their prey by 
breaking their necks. If driven from the carcass, they seldom 
return to it. ‘The Gauchos say that the jaguar, when wandering 
about at night, is much tormented by the foxes yelping as they 
follow him. This is a curious coincidence with the fact which is 
generally affirmed of the jackals accompanying, in a similarly 
officious manner, the East Indian tiger. The jaguar is a noisy 
animal, roaring much by night, and especially before bad weather. 
7 
