MEXICAN TIGER. 
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former instantly strikes its claws into the eyes., the 
only penetrable part of this dreadful reptile, who 
immediately dives under water, pulling; his enemy 
along with him, where they commonly both pe- 
rish. 
Mexican tiger, or ocelot. 
This animal is about four times the size of a 
large cat, and almost as large as the jaguar. It 
is very strongly made ; its upper parts are of a 
bright tawny ; its sides whitish, marked length- 
ways with long stripes of black, hollow, and of 
a richer tawny in the middle, in which arc sprink- 
led some small black spots ; from the neck towards 
the shoulders point others of the same colours ; a 
black stripe extends along the back from head to 
tail ; there is also a black stripe from the nostrils 
to the corners of the eyes ; its forehead is spotted 
with black ; its legs are whitish varied with small 
black spots ; the tail is also spotted with small 
spots near its base, and with larger near the end, 
which is black. 
An animal, supposed to be the female of this spe- 
cies, was shewn some years ago in London. Its 
shoulders were both barred and spotted ; the tail 
not so long as the body, with large spots above 
and small beneath The colours of the female 
are not so vivid as those of the male. 
It inhabits Mexico, the neighbourhood of Car- 
thagena, and Brasil ; lives in the mountains, and 
is very voracious, but afraid of mankind ; it preys 
on calves and different sorts of game ; lurks 
amidst the leaves of trees ; and sometimes will 
extend itself along the boughs as if dead, till the 
monkies, tempted by their natural curiosity, ap- 
proaching to examine it, become its prey. 
Buffon says, of all spotted animals*, the robe of 
