JAGUAR AND PUMA 
19 
than he rushed upon her, seized her neck between 
his jaws, and by a square bite crushed two of 
the neck vertebrae, and killed her instantly — as 
quickly as if her head had been cut off with an 
axe. 
adventures with Pumas have been written and 
printed, but in reality this animal is less to be 
dreaded than a savage dog. It appears to be 
true, however, that it occasionally follows be- 
lated hunters or travellers, out of curiosity. It 
Drawn by J. Carter Beard. 
JAGUAR. 
The Puma, also called Mountain “Lion” 
and Cougar , 1 is the most widely-known cat ani- 
mal of North America. It is found in all the 
great western mountain ranges of the United 
States, in many tracts of “bad-lands” in Wyom- 
ing and Montana, British Columbia, and in the 
Adirondacks and Florida. Southward it ranges 
over table-lands and through tropical forests, 
all the way to Patagonia. In the United States 
it is most abundant, and also most accessible, 
in Routt Co., Colorado, where it is easily found 
by dogs, chased into low trees, and shot without 
danger. In this manner Mr. John B. Goff has 
killed nearly three hundred Pumas, “only two 
of which fought courageously.” 
Hundreds of thrilling stories of (imaginary) 
1 Fe'lis con'co-lor, and other species and races re- 
cently described. 
is now a well-established fact that prowling 
Pumas do sometimes scream, in a manner cal- 
culated to inspire terror, just as caterwauling 
cats frequently do. I have heard Pumas scream 
precisely like terrified women or boys, but they 
always flee from man when the way is open. 
'Phe Puma is a thin-bodied, flat-sided animal, 
tall for its weight, and of a brownish drab color. 
It has a beautiful face, and is a handsome creat- 
ure. Of all the large cats of the world, it is by 
far the best climber. A large specimen is from 
7 to 8 feet in total length, from nose to tail tip, 
and weighs about 225 pounds. 
The Puma makes its den among rocks, in 
“wash-out” holes, or in very thick brush or for- 
ests, and preys upon every living creature that 
can be killed and eaten, except man. In settled 
regions they frequently destroy much young 
