320 
PUMA. 
tlie male of this species is unquestionably tbe most 
beautiful and the most elegantly variegated. Even 
that of the leopard is not to be compared with it 
for vivacity of colours, and symmetry of design ; 
far less of the jaguar, panther, and ounce. But in 
the female the colours are fainter, and the design 
more irregular. They prefer blood to flesh ; 
hence they destroy a great number of animals ; 
because, instead of satiating themselves by devour- 
ing their flesh, they only quench their thirst by 
drinkingtbe blood. The males have a remarkable 
superiority over the females ; the latter never pre- 
sume to partake of the prey till the former have 
enough. They produce but two young at a litter. 
Puma. 
This animal has a very small head, ears a little 
pointed, large eyes, and a white chin ; his back, 
neck, rump* and sides, are of a pale brownish red, 
mixed with dusky hairs ; his breast, his belly, and 
the inside of his legs cinereous ; the hair on his 
belly is long ; his tail is dusky and ferruginous ; 
the tip of it is black. His teeth are of a vast size ; 
bis claws are white ; the outmost one of the fore 
feet much larger than the others. He is long bo- 
died, and stands high on bis legs ; liis length from 
the nose to the tail is five feet three inches ; his tail 
tw r o feet eight. 
He inhabits the continent of America, from 
Canada to Brasil, and has been mistaken for the 
lion ; he is the scourge of the colonies in the 
hotter and less populous parts of America ; fierce 
and ravenous to the highest degree ; he swims 
overbroad rivers, and attacks cattle even in the 
inc insures ; and, when much pressed with hunger, 
spares not even the human species. In North 
America., however, their fury seems to be subdued 
