CARNIVORA. 
71 
The black variety, however, is extremely rare. One 
is also mentioned by Azara, perfectly white, with 
the spots indicated by a more opaque appearance ; 
but this peculiarity was possibly the effect of al- 
binism. 
The jaguars are solitary animals, or are met with 
only in pairs ; they inhabit thick forests, especially 
in the neighbourhood of great rivers ; and if they 
be driven by their wants to seek for sustenance in 
the cultivated country, they generally do so by night. 
It is said they will stand in the water, out of the 
stream, and drop their saliva, which, floating on the 
surface, draws the fish after it within their reach, 
when they seize them with the paw, and throw them 
on shore for food. 
They will attack cows, and even bulls of four 
years old, but horses seem to be their favourite prey. 
They destroy the larger animals by leaping on their 
back; and placing one paw on the head, and another 
on the muzzle, they contrive to break the neck of 
their victim in a moment. Having thus deprived it 
of life, they will drag the carcass, by means of their 
teeth, a very considerable distance to their retreat, 
from which their great strength may in some mea- 
sure be estimated. 
The jaguar is hunted with a number of dogs, 
which, although they have no chance of destroying 
it themselves, drive the animal into a tree, pro- 
vided it can find one a little inclining, or else into 
some hole. In the first case, the hunters destroy 
it with fire-arms or lances ; and in the second, some 
