64 a hand-book of the management of animals 



Treatment in health. 



With respect to housing, feeding and transport, the jaguar may 

 be treated like any other larger carnivorous animal. As the male is 

 the more powerful of the two, it was observed to appropriate the food 

 of the female, after having eaten its own, so they had to be fed 

 separately. 



Treatment in sickness. 



During the short time that they have been living in the garden, 

 the jaguars have maintained excellent health. 



Observations on the habits of Jaguars. 



These animals were very shy on their arrival, and continued so for 

 some time. They appeared after a time to have become bolder, so as not 

 to run away to the furthest corner of the cage on the approach of men ; 

 they similarly learnt to obey their keeper. Though not generally noisy, 

 their call is more sonorous and deep than that of a leopard. One of the 

 favourite fancies of the male is to carry a large log of wood backward 

 and forward several times during the day. 



(62) THE OCELOT. 

 (FELTS PARDALIS— Linn.) 



Description. — This is the most variable of cats, no two specimens 

 being alike in markings and colour. Fur soft and short, general colour 

 rufous white or whitish ; sometimes rufous yellow ; head, neck, shoulders, 

 and back marked with black spots or lines : flanks and loins striped 

 with broad black lines : limbs spotted and more rufous in colour; under 

 parts white ; chest and belly spotted ; a black line crosses the throat 

 beneath the cheek and passes down to the throat. Tail long, with 

 irregular shaped bands and spots ; towards the end blackish. A full- 

 grown animal measures, head and body, about 29 inches ; tail about 16. 

 The colour of the specimen that lived in the garden was light grey. 



Bab. — America. 



Length of life in captivity. 

 An ocelot lived in this garden a little over nine years. 

 Treatment in health. 



In respect of housing, feeding and transport it may be treated like 

 any other cat. The comparatively long period during which this 

 animal lived has probably been due to its being fed on live rabbits or 

 guinea pigs almost once a week. It ought to be remembered that flesh- 

 meat often induces diarrhoea in cats, and with some it disagrees more 

 than with others. They often eat bits of bread, biscuits and other 

 sundries. 



Treatment in sickness. 



Severe cold and inflammation of the lungs are the diseases from 

 which an ocelot has been observed to suffer, the latter ending fatally. 



