THE JAGUAR AND THE PUMA. 71 



spacious hollows whicli the dropping moisture of centuries has 

 worn in the walls and ledges of the inner mountains, the mother 

 arranges her childbed with such rude material as the situation 

 affords — a few rotten sticks fished from the dark current, lichens 

 clawed from the rocks, and a peck or two of soft sand scraped 

 together from the next hollows and fissures, to level the bottom 

 of the couch." 



Jaguars appear to be somewhat braver animals than even lions 

 or tigers, and are not so easily driven from their prey. When 

 not goaded by hunger they retreat before man, but at other 

 times will charge quicker than the panther, and are described as 

 sometimes actually leaping into the water to attack the Indians 

 passing in their canoes. 



They prey upon horses, tapirs, dogs, pigs, mules, all cattle, 

 and, strange to say, upon turtles and fish, their favourite food 

 being the capybara or water-hog, which is the largest gnawing 

 animal in the world ; and common on the banks of the Plata. 



They attack from behind the animal, stealing up stealthily till 

 within springing distance, and they have the power of making tre- 

 mendous leaps. Their chief strength, however, lies in the fore- 

 paws and in those tendons that correspond to the wrist-sinews in a 

 man ; hence their power of killing their victims in the way they 

 are described as adopting. After pouncing on the neck, they 

 place one paw on the back of the animal's head, and seizing the 

 muzzle with the other, twist the head round with a sudden jerk 

 which dislocates the spine ; occasionally, when unable to do this, 

 they use their fore-paws and strike the victim to the ground. 



Humboldt remarks, "We were shown large shells of turtles 

 emptied by the jaguars. These animals follow the arraus towards 

 the beaches when the laying of eggs is to take place. They surprise 

 them on the sand, and in order to devour them at. their ease, turn 

 them up in such a manner that the under shell is uppermost ; in 

 this situation the turtles cannot rise, and as the jaguar turns 

 many more than he can eat in one night, the Indians often avail 

 themselves of his cunning and malignant avidity. When we 

 reflect on the difficulty that the naturalist finds in getting out the 

 body without separating the upper and under shells, wo cannot 



