Part 5 (2/2)

The Strength of the Jaguar.

The strength of the Jaguar is very great, and as he can climb, swim, and leap a great distance, he is almost equally formidable in three elements. He is said to attack the alligator and to banquet with evident relish off his victim. D'Azara says that on one occasion he found a Jaguar feasting upon a horse which it had killed. The Jaguar fled at his approach, whereupon he had the body of the horse dragged to within a musket shot of a tree in which he purposed watching for the Jaguar's return. While temporarily absent he left a man to keep watch, and while he was away the jaguar reappeared from the opposite side of a river which was both deep and broad. Having crossed the river the animal approached, and seizing the body of the horse with his teeth dragged it some sixty paces to the water side, plunged in with it, swam across the river, pulled it out upon the other side, and carried it into a neighbouring wood.

A Night of Horror.

Mrs. Bowdich tells a story of two early settlers in the Western States of America, a man and his wife, who closed their wooden hut, and went to pay a visit at a distance, leaving a freshly-killed piece of venison hanging inside. ”The gable end of this house was not boarded up as high as the roof, but a large aperture was left for light and air. By taking an enormous leap, a hungry jaguar, attracted by the smell of the venison, had entered the hut and devoured part of it. He was disturbed by the return of the owners, and took his departure. The venison was removed. The husband went away the night after to a distance, and left his wife alone in the hut. She had not been long in bed before she heard the jaguar leap in at the open gable. There was no door between her room and that in which he had entered, and she knew not how to protect herself. She, however, screamed as loudly as she could, and made all the violent noises she could think of, which served to frighten him away at that time; but she knew he would come again, and she must be prepared for him. She tried to make a large fire, but the wood was expended. She thought of rolling herself up in the bedclothes, but these would be torn off. The idea of getting under the low bedstead suggested itself, but she felt sure a paw would be stretched forth which would drag her out.

Her husband had taken all their firearms. At last, as she heard the jaguar scrambling up the end of the house, in despair she got into a large store chest, the lid of which closed with a spring. Scarcely was she within it, and had dragged the lid down, inserting her fingers between it and the side of the chest, when the jaguar discovered where she was. He smelt round the chest, tried to get his head in through the crack, but fortunately he could not raise the lid. He found her fingers and began to lick them; she felt them bleed, but did not dare to move them for fear she should be suffocated. At length the jaguar leaped on to the lid, and his weight pressing down the lid, fractured her fingers.

Still she could not move. He smelt round again, he pulled, he leaped on and off, till at last getting tired of his vain efforts, he went away.

The poor woman lay there till daybreak, and then only feeling safe from her enemy, she went as fast as her strength would let her to her nearest neighbour's a distance of two miles, where she procured help for her wounded fingers, which were long in getting well. On his return, her husband found a male and female jaguar with their cubs, in the forest close by, and all were destroyed.”

The Puma.

The Puma, or American lion, is known by several names. It is sometimes called a panther, or colloquially a ”painter”, and sometimes a cougar.

It resembles the lioness somewhat in appearance, especially about the head, though it is smaller and less powerful. Its length varies from four feet to four feet and a half, and its colour is that of the fox, graduating in parts to white. Like the lion it inhabits plains rather than forests;--in the marshy districts, and on the borders of rivers in the south, and in the swamps and prairies of the northern districts. It lives on such wild and domestic animals as come within its reach, lying at full length upon the lower branches of trees, and dropping upon its victims as they pa.s.s beneath. Deer and cattle of all kinds it attacks, and, not content with killing enough for immediate purposes, destroys large numbers, sucking small quant.i.ties of blood from each. According to Sir William Jardine it is exceedingly destructive among sheep and has been known to kill fifty in one night. The Puma is, however, easily tamed and becomes very docile under kindly treatment. Edward Kean kept a tame one which followed him about like a dog and was as playful as a kitten.

The Puma's Ferocity.

”Molina and D'Azara say,” says Sir William Jardine, ”that the puma will flee from men, and that its timidity renders its pursuit generally free from danger.” The following incident given by Sir William Jardine and at greater length by Captain Brown, shows that this is not always the case.

According to these accounts, two hunters visited the Katskills in pursuit of game, each armed with a gun and accompanied by a dog. They agreed to follow contrary directions round the base of a hill, and to join each other immediately upon hearing the report of a gun. Shortly after parting, one of the friends heard the gun of his comrade and hastening to his a.s.sistance came first upon the body of his friend's dog, torn and lacerated; proceeding further, his attention was attracted by the growl of a wild animal, and looking up, he discovered a large puma crouching over the body of his friend, upon the branch of a tree.

The animal glared at him, and he, knowing the rapidity of the Puma's movements, immediately raised his gun and fired, whereupon the puma rolled over on to the ground with his prey. The dog flew at the infuriated beast, but one blow from the puma's paw silenced him for ever. Seeing that his comrade was dead the hunter left the scene in search of a.s.sistance, upon securing which, he returned to find the puma dead, beside the two dogs and the hunter whom he had killed.

Animals and Men.

Captain Head, in his ”Journey Across the Pampas” says:--”The fear which all wild animals in America have of man is very singularly seen in the Pampas. I often rode towards the ostriches and _zamas_, crouching under the opposite side of my horse's neck; but I always found that, although they would allow my loose horse to approach them, they, even when young, ran from me, though little of my figure was visible; and when I saw them all enjoying themselves in such full liberty, it was at first not pleasing to observe that one's appearance was everywhere a signal to them that they should fly from their enemy. Yet it is by this fear 'that man hath dominion over the beasts of the field,' and there is no animal in South America that does not acknowledge this instinctive feeling. As a singular proof of the above, and of the difference between the wild beasts of America and of the old world, I will venture to relate a circ.u.mstance which a man sincerely a.s.sured me had happened to him in South America:--He was trying to shoot some wild ducks, and, in order to approach them unperceived, he put the corner of his poncho (which is a sort of long narrow blanket) over his head, and crawling along the ground upon his hands and knees, the poncho not only covered his body, but trailed along the ground behind him. As he was thus creeping by a large bush of reeds, he heard a loud, sudden noise, between a bark and a roar: he felt something heavy strike his feet, and, instantly jumping up, he saw, to his astonishment, a large puma actually standing on his poncho; and, perhaps, the animal was equally astonished to find himself in the immediate presence of so athletic a man. The man told me he was unwilling to fire, as his gun was loaded with very small shot; and he therefore remained motionless, the puma standing on his poncho for many seconds; at last the creature turned his head, and walking very slowly away about ten yards, he stopped, and turned again: the man still maintained his ground, upon which the puma tacitly acknowledged his supremacy, and walked off.”

The Ocelot.

The Ocelot is a native of South America and one of the most beautiful of the Cat family. It is smaller than the Leopard, attaining to about three feet in length, and eighteen inches in height. Its colour is grey, tinged with fawn and the body and legs are covered with longitudinal chainlike stripes broken into patches of some inches. Its habits are like those of its near relations, the Leopard and the Jaguar, though its appet.i.te for blood makes it perhaps even more destructive. It will suck blood with the greatest avidity and frequently leave a carcase otherwise untouched in order to pursue other animals for the sake of more blood.

When tame the Ocelot is remarkably playful, climbing up the legs and nestling in the arms of its benefactors. It is apt to be dangerous in a poultry yard but will keep good friends with a house dog, and play, somewhat roughly, perhaps, but without malice, with children.

The Clouded Tiger.

This animal belongs to Sumatra where it lives upon the forest birds.

Like the Ocelot it is exceedingly playful when tame, seeking the notice and returning the caresses of all who encourage it.

The Serval.

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