28 WILD ANIMAL CELEBRITIES 



out and examined, it was found that two of 

 the neck vertebrae had been completely 

 crushed, while the spinal cord was penetrated 

 by pieces of bone. 



This is a marvelous fact, especially to those 

 who are able to realize the tremendous force 

 necessary to accomplish this. He must have 

 taken a good, large, square bite, and held on 

 until he was compelled to loosen his hold by 

 sheer force. 



Many instances have been recorded from 

 time to time of the enormous strength of the 

 jaguar, but I know of no other so 

 astonishing and overwhelming. We are 

 told by Naturalists that the jaguar's 

 mode of killing is invariable, that it 

 springs to the back of its victim and, 

 by a sudden, quick movement of its fore 

 paws twists its head round and thus breaks 

 its neck. Lopez sprang to the right side of 

 his unfortunate relation, but he did no twist- 

 ing, no wrenching. He buried his teeth in' 

 the vertebrae of the neck and crushed it, 

 evidently as easily as an ordinary house cat 



