472 
ON AMERICAN ANIMALS 
absolute caricature, and conveys no idea of the sprightly 
motions and strength of this beautiful miniature of the 
leopard. 
These circumstances have induced me to lay before the 
Society a fine drawing of a very beautiful jaguar from 
Paraguay*, which was some time ago alive in Liverpool. 
When the animal arrived, it was in full health, and, though 
not fully grown, was of very formidable size and strength. 
The captain who brought it could venture to play with it, 
as it lay in one of the boats on deck, to which it was 
chained ; but it had been familiarised to him from the time 
it was the size of a small dog. I did not venture to take 
measurements of it ; but it appeared to be between 6 and 7 
feet in length (including the tail), and to stand between 2 
and 3 feet in height at the shoulder. The size of the fore- 
legs seemed very great in proportion to the bulk of the 
body, and especially of the hind-legs and rump of the ani- 
mal. The ground-colour is bright fulvous; the fur is 
short, thick, and glossy, all over the body. It is variegated 
by long chain-like spots. A chain of such spots passes 
down the spine from the shoulders to the tail, which con- 
sists chiefly of single spots ; but some of them are double. 
On each side of this chain are several rows of open spots, 
formed by a glossy border of black, including one or more 
spots of the same colour. As they descend the sides of the 
animal, these borders become interrupted, and present the 
appearance of clusters of four irregular oblong spots, with 
occasionally one or more small central dots. Viewed from 
above, the back has no inconsiderable resemblance to the 
* The drawing was made by Mr Alexander Mosses, a young artist of 
gre^t merit, who was employed by me for this purpose, and has succeeded 
admirably in giving the character of the animal. 
