30 THE WONDERS OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. 



to destroy every individual in the flock, actually gorging itself with the blood, and in this bloated 

 state it often falls a prey to the hunter. The appearance of even a woman or a child is sometimes 

 sufficient to make him fly and abandon his prey ; and when hard pressed, he either leaps upon a tree, 

 seeks an asylum in a rock, or, placing himself against the trunk of some large tree, defends himself in 

 a furious manner. 



We are informed by Molina, that it is a common practice for the husbandmen of Chili to fasten 

 two of their horses together in the fields, and whenever the Puma finds them in this situation, it kills 

 one and drags it away, compelling the other to follow by striking it from time to time with its paw. 

 The favourite haunts of the Puma are the streams to which animals usually repair to drink ; it here 

 conceals itself upon a tree, and scarcely ever fails of seizing one of them. The horses, however, 

 have an instinctive dread of these places, and even when pressed by thirst, they approach them with 

 great caution, carefully examining on every side, to discover if there be any danger. The ass in 

 particular, when the Puma leaps on its back, throws itself immediately on the ground, or runs with all 

 its force against the trunks of trees, endeavouring thereby to free itself from its desperate assailant. 



The enterprising spirit of modern travellers has greatly enriched our knowledge of the natural 

 history of foreign quadrupeds, particularly those which may be considered as exclusively belonging 

 to the New World ; the majestic condur, whose aerie is on the Andes, and the alpaca who feeds on 

 the plains at their base, are now as familiar to us as the lion of Senegal, or the tiger of the Indies. 

 The journey of Capt. Head across the Pampas has furnished us with an interesting anecdote respect- 

 ing the Puma, although it must be observed that he has fallen into the error common with Humboldt 

 and other travellers, of calling the Puma a lion. 



He relates " that the fear which all wild animals in America have of man, is very singularly seen 

 in the Pampas : I often rode towards the ostriches and llamas, crouching under the opposite side of 

 my horse's neck ; but I always found that, although they would allow any loose horse to approach 

 them, they, even when young, ran from me, though little of my figure was visible ; and when one 

 saw them all enjoying themselves in such full liberty, it was at first not pleasing to observe that one's 

 appearance was everywhere a signal that they should fly from their enemy ; yet it is by this fear ' that 

 man hath dominion over the beasts of the field,' and there is no animal in South America, that does 

 not acknowledge this instinctive feeling. As a singular proof of the above and of the difference 

 between the wild beasts of America and of the Old World, I will venture to relate a circumstance 

 which a man sincerely assured me had happened to him in South America. 



" He was trying to shoot some wild ducks, and in order to approach them unperceived, he put the 

 corner of his poncho (which is a sort of long, narrow blanket) over his head, and crawling along the 

 ground upon his hands and knees, the poncho not only covered his body, but trailed along the ground 

 behind him. As he was thus creeping by a large bush of reeds, he heard a loud sudden noise 

 between a bark and a roar; he felt something heavy strike his feet, and instantly jumping up, he saw 

 to his astonishment a large lion, actually standing on his poncho, and perhaps the animal was equally 

 astonished to find himself in the immediate presence of so athletic a man. The man told me he was 

 unwilling to fire, as his gun was loaded with very small shot, and he therefore remained motionless, 

 the lion standing on his poucho for many seconds ; at last the creature turned his head and walked 

 very slowly away about ten yards; he stopped and turned again, the man still maintained his ground, 

 upon which the lion tacitly acknowledged his supremacy, and walked off'." 



