THE JAGUAR 
145 
When “Doctor” received Ms daily food, he used to clutch and growl over it like a cat 
over a mouse, but was sufficiently gentle to permit the meat to be abstracted. In order to 
take away the animal’s food, two men were employed, armed with large sticks, one of whom 
took his place in front of the Jaguar, and the other in the rear. When all was arranged, the 
man in the rear poked “ Doctor” behind, and, as he turned round to see what was the matter, 
the man in front hooked away the meat with his stick. However the animal might growl over 
its food, and snarl at any one who approached, it would become perfectly quiet and gentle as 
soon as the cause of anger was removed. 
It was a very playful animal, and was as mischievous in its sport as any kitten, delighting 
to find any one who would join in a game of romps, and acting just as a kitten would under 
similar circumstances. As the animal increased in size and strength, its play began to be 
rather too rough to be agreeable, and was, moreover, productive of rather unpleasant conse- 
quences to its fellow voyagers. For, as is the custom with all the cat tribe, the Jaguar 
delighted in sticking its talons into the clothes of its human playfellows and tearing them in a 
disastrous manner. The creature was so amusing that no one could resist the temptation 
of playing with it, and so the evil was remedied by docking the “Doctor’s” claws of their 
sharp points. 
This animal was about two years old when it was brought to England. Two years after 
•its arrival, Captain Inglefield went to see his old favorite, the “Doctor,” and found that the 
Jaguar recognized him in spite of the long interval of time, and permitted him to pat its head 
and to open its mouth. 
In its native land, the Jaguar ranges the dense and perfumed forests in search of the 
various creatures which fall victims to its powerful claws. The list of animals that compose 
its bill of fare is a large and comprehensive one, including horses, deer, monkeys, capybaras, 
tapirs, birds of various kinds, turtles, lizards, and fish ; thus comprising examples of all the 
four orders of vertebrated animals. Nor does the Jaguar confine itself to the vertebrates. 
Various shell-fish, insects, and other creatures fall victims to the insatiate appetite of this 
ravenous animal. 
It seems strange that such powerful creatures as horses should be reckoned among the 
prey of the Jaguar, for it would seem unlikely that the muscular force of the animal could be 
equal to the task of destroying and carrying away so large a quadruped as a horse. Yet such 
is truly the case ; and the J aguars commit infinite havoc among the horses that band together 
in large herds on the plains of Paraguay. A Jaguar has been known to swim across a wide 
river, to kill a horse, to drag it for some sixty yards to the water side, to plunge it into the 
stream, to swim across the river with its prey, to drag it out of the water after reaching the 
opposite bank, and, finally, to carry it off into a neighboring wood. The natives of the country 
where the Jaguar lives assert that even when two horses have been fastened to each other, the 
Jaguar has been known to kill one of them, and to drag off the living and the dead horse in 
spite of the strength of the survivor. 
These seem to be marvellous exploits, when the ordinary size of the Jaguar is taken into 
consideration. But Humboldt, than whom is no better or more trustworthy authority, says 
that he saw a Jaguar, “which in length surpassed that of all the tigers of India which I 
had seen in the collections of Europe.” 
The favorite food of the Jaguar — when he can get it — is the flesh of the various monkeys. 
But to catch a monkey is not the easiest task in the world, and in general can only be achieved 
by leaping upon the prey from a place of concealment, or by surprising the monkeys while 
sleeping. Sometimes it is fortunate enough to get among a little band of monkeys before they 
are aware of the presence of the dreaded foe, and then seizes the opportunity of dealing a few 
fierce strokes of its terrible paw among the partly-awakened sleepers, thus dashing them to 
the ground, whither it descends to feast at leisure on the ample repast. The fierce hoarse roar 
of the Jaguar and the yells of terror that come from the frightened monkeys resound far 
and wide, and proclaim in unmistakable language the deadly work that is going on among 
the trees. 
Peccaries are also a favorite article of diet with the Jaguar, but he finds scarcely less 
