84 
FOOD OF ANIMALS. 
friendly relations, and looked, as it lay 
washing its face on some straw, like a very 
large, good-natured, rather lazy, tortoise¬ 
shell cat. Its claws were very strong, and 
its paws more muscular than those of ordi¬ 
nary cats. The keeper said that it was very 
good-tempered. I do not know of any other 
tiger-cats inhabiting America, except the 
pampas cat, which still more strongly re¬ 
sembles the domestic cat.” 
“But what do all these wild creatures 
live upon?” asked Richard. “It does not 
seem as though there could be animals 
enough to furnish food for all of them.” 
“Oh, my dear, you do not reflect upon 
the great amount of animal life inhabiting 
those great forests and plains. Think of the 
countless numbers of monkeys alone. Hum¬ 
boldt saw hundreds at a time going in long 
procession from tree to tree, besides great 
herds of peccaries, (which are animals of the 
pig-kind,) capybaras, guinea-pigs, and the 
different species of hares, not to mention 
birds and reptiles. When you reflect upon 
the solitary habits both of the chati and 
ocelot,—only one pair inhabiting a large 
district, in which are hundreds of monkeys 
