CARNIVORA. 
77 
to their compact, hastened to his comrade. After 
searching for him for some time without effect, he 
found his dog dead, and dreadfully torn. Apprised 
by this discovery that the animal shot at was large 
and ferocious, he became anxious for the fate of his 
friend, and assiduously continued the search for him ; 
when his eyes were suddenly directed, by the deep 
growl of a puma, to the large branch of a tree, where 
he saw the animal couching on the body of the man, 
and directing its eyes toward him, apparently hesi- 
tating whether to descend and make a fresh attack 
on the survivor, or to relinquish its prey, and take to 
flight. Conscious that much depended on celerity, 
the hunter discharged his piece, and wounded the 
animal mortally, when it and the body of the man 
fell together from the tree. The surviving dog then 
flew at the prostrate beast, but a single blow from its 
paw laid the dog dead by its side. In this state of 
things, finding that his comrade was dead, and that 
there was still danger in approaching the wounded 
animal, the man prudently retired, and with all haste 
brought several persons to the spot, where the un- 
fortunate hunter, the couguar, and both the dogs, 
were all lying dead together*. 
Azara asserts, that the jaguar cannot climb trees, 
but that the puma can. The last anecdote sufii- 
ciently evinces, that the latter can mount a tree; but 
it seems probable, that it is accomplished rather by a 
* This is given on the authority of Major Smith, who saw the 
animal, which was preserved after death as a memorial of the story. 
