578 The Naturalist Brazilian Expedition, [June, : 
THE NATURALIST BRAZILIAN EXPEDITION. 
Parer III.—SAo Jodo po Monte NEGRO. 
BY HERBERT H. SMITH. | 
(Continued from page 470, May number.) 
HE large Felidz are now rare near São Joao, but individuals 
of all the species are still occasionally met with. The Falls 
onca here roams indifferently in the highland or lowland forest; 
occasionally it attains a length of eight feet from the nose to the 
root of the tail, and in fierceness and strength it is probably not 
inferior to a lion. This species is characterized by black spots 
arranged in groups or circles of five or six each, onan ochre or 
tawny ground. Throughout Brazil there are two other aooe 
which heretofore appear to have been confounded with this one 
by naturalists. The first is the onca pintada, Uriauara or once 
cachorro of the Amazons. This is quite as large as the truf o 
and higher and thicker in proportion. The skin is readily disti- 
_ guished ; the colors are nearly the same as in the onca, but the 
spots are smaller and scattered evenly—never arranged in grove? 
The other species is the one which is known everywhere me 
tigre, or black tiger. It is even larger than the others, the 
being of a deep glossy brown-black, marked with stil! pan 
spots which are arranged as in the true onca. The skin of Z 
three species can always be readily distinguished, and the hun 
who, in such cases, are the best judges, declare that the m ay 
give birth to cubs which are similar in pattern and s 
themselves. Very rarely, it is said, crosses between two s 
kinds are seen, and it is possible that skins of these DES of 
pearing in European museums, have caused the Co us , 
species.” . el 
The puma, or /eao, as it is called here (Felis concolor) is S 4 
than the onca, and more common ; it kills sheep and ¢4 d 
never attacks a man unless driven to bay. The hunters es, The 
several varieties, but do not regard them as distinct speci®: 
puma does not cross with the three preceding kinds. 
1Called here simply onca, or jaguara ; on the Amazons, 
Matto Grosso, Cangussú. On the Amazons this species belongs 
plain, while the Uriauara is exclusively a highland form. that the? 
2 Prince Maximilian very clearly indicates tbe three species, Pat saute 
may be varieties, 
A ES A E PNS A 
