THE COUGAR. 
13 
hands; the jaguar, irritated by dogs, springs upon the hunter 
who must catch it on the spear ; hut if he fails his life will surely 
be sacrificed, unless he has time and presence of mind to plunge 
a long knife into a vital part of the infuriated animal. 
The jaguar is a solitary animal, residing in forests, especially 
near large rivers. It is an expert climber and an excellent swim- 
mer ; it has been known, after having destroyed a horse, to swim 
with the carcass over a deep and broad river without any appa- 
rent signs of fatigue. Although ferocious in its wild state, the 
jaguar in captivity becomes tame and tractable, and is fond of 
licking the hands of those with whom he is familiar. 
THE COUGAR. 
^Vhe Cougar, or, as it is often called, the Puma, is the largest 
. of the feline species found in North America. It has also 
been termed the American lion, though it bears not the 
least resemblance to the “jungle king.” The cougar measures 
from four to five feet long, exclusive of the tail, which is half 
the length of its body, and is about two feet and a half high. 
Its color is of a reddish brown, intermixed with black ; the ears 
and extremity of the tail are dark brown; the under jaw and 
throat are of a reddish white, and on the abdomen the hair is 
long and ash-colored. The agility of this animal in climbing 
and leaping is astonishing, as, when it pursuit of prey, it often 
springs a distance of twenty feet, from one tree to another. It 
preys on sheep, calves, young horses, or any animal it can master, 
