130 
THE STORY OF THE JAGUAR . 
This was an unusual case, for the jaguar will not attack human beings 
except when he has been provoked or suffering the pangs of extreme 
hunger. It often happens that the islands which they usually inhabit be¬ 
come flooded, and they are forced to go to the mainland to appease their 
hunger. At such times there is no more dangerous or desperate brute in 
the .whole' animal creation. 
The size of the jaguar makes it a formidable enemy, for it is the largest 
representative of the cat family inhabiting the New World, being somewhat 
superior in size to the leopard, and having a relatively larger head. It 
resembles the leopard in the ornamentation of the fur, taking the form of 
large rosette-like dark spots, enclosing lighter centers; and likewise in the 
circular form of the pupil of the eye. The spots are, however, considerably 
larger than in the leopard, the ring of each being usually formed of a number 
of small spots, while the light center of each rosette contains one or more 
spots. Moreover, the rosettes are arranged in from seven to eight rows on 
each side of the body. The ground color of the fur is a rich tan. 
The total average length of a full-grown male jaguar is about 6 feet 2 
inches, the long bushy tail extending to 2 feet 1 inch, or about a third 
the length over all. A large example had a total length of 6 feet 9 inches, 
of which the tail occupied 2 feet 2 inches; while a still larger specimen is 
said to have measured upwards of five feet from the tip of the nose to the 
root of the tail. 
The range of the jaguar embraces the whole of the country lying be¬ 
tween the north of Mexico' and Texas and the northern parts of Patagonia, 
its southern limit coinciding approximately with the 40th parallel of south 
latitude. 
The jaguar is one of the most expert climbers among the larger cats, and 
I have it that in certain districts of South America, where the forests are 
subject to inundation, and the trees stand so thickly that the passage from 
one to another is perfectly easy, the jaguar will sometimes take to a life in 
the trees, preying upon the troops of monkeys that inhabit the forests. 
There seems to be no record of its having attacked human beings without 
provocation, except when nearly starving. 
The mode of killing its prey is invariable. Leaping to the back of the 
victim, the jaguar, by a rapid movement of the fore-paws, twists its head 
round and breaks its neck. 
Its cry, which cannot be correctly described as a roar, is loud, deep, and 
hoarse, and has been compared to a series of repetitions of the syllables, 
pu, pu, pu. 
