38 The Naturalist in La Plata, 
and timid, has been nearly exterminated in all 
the Atlantic States, and we do not recollect a 
single well- authenticated instance where any hunter’s- 
life fell a sacrifice in a cougar hunt.” It might be 
added, I believe, that no authentic instance has been 
recorded of the puma making an unprovoked attack 
on any human being. In South America also the 
traveller in the wilderness is sometimes followed by 
a puma ; but he would certainly be very much 
surprised if told that it follows with the intention 
of springing on him unawares and devouring his 
flesh. 
I have spoken of the comparative ease with 
which the puma overcomes even large animals, 
comparing it in this respect with the peregrine 
falcon; but all predacious species are liable to fre- 
quent failures, sometimes to fatal mishaps, and even 
the cunning, swift-killing puma is no exception. Its 
attacks are successfully resisted by the ass, which 
does not, like the horse, lose his presence of mind, 
but when assaulted thrusts his head well down be- 
tween its fore-legs and kicks violently until the 
enemy is thrown or driven off. Pigs, when in 
large herds, also safely defy the puma, massing 
themselves together for defence in their well-known 
manner, and presenting a serried line of tusks to 
the aggressor. During my stay in Patagonia a 
puma met its fate in a manner so singular that the 
incident caused considerable sensation among the 
settlers on the Pio Aegro at the time. A man 
named Linares, the chief of the tame Indians settled 
in the neighbourhood of El Carmen, while riding 
near the river had his curiosity aroused by the 
