Jaguar (Felis onca), sometimes called the American tiger, has reddish-yellow fur, spotted with black. It inhabits South America, from Paraguay to Mexico, and is the largest and most dangerous animal of prey in those parts of the globe. The jaguar lies in wait for all sorts of animals, and shows a great fondness for fish; but most frequently it attacks grazing animals. It does not even hesitate to spring upon man.
Leopard (Felis pardus).—Now generally supposed to be identical with the panther. The leopard is at home in Africa, from Algeria to Cape Colony; it is also found in Asia, from Palestine through central Asia to Manchuria. It is characterized by a peculiar gracefulness, slenderness and flexibility of form, with a very long tail, and spotted fur, the spots being arranged in numerous rows along the sides, and each spot composed of five or six small spots arranged in a circle or rosette. The general color is yellowish; the lower parts lighter; the spots darker than the general color of the fur. The leopard is extremely agile, and possesses the power of leaping and also that of climbing trees in great perfection. Deer and antelopes are its habitual prey; but it is equally ready to feed on pigs, poultry, or whatever animals may be found in the vicinity of a farm or village. The size and strength of the leopard render it dangerous to man; but it generally seems to dread and flee from man, unless assailed.
Lion (Felis leo).—The lion is covered with short, smooth hair, which lies close to the skin. Its fur is mostly of a uniform yellow color. A male lion measures about ten feet in length; the female is about a foot shorter. The male has a long mane on its neck and breast. Its claws are retractile—i. e., may be drawn back entirely into their sheaths. At the end of the tail is a horny point, which is surrounded by a tuft of hair.
The lion, the king of animals, inhabits the Old World, Africa and Asia and was formerly also found in Greece and Macedonia. The majesty of terror and violence accompanies its movements. Its most striking qualities are courage, pride, and circumspection. It chooses lonely spots with rocky caves for its habitation, where it passes the day in sleep.
At the beginning of twilight it rises from its couch, stretches its limbs, and gives vent to a roar which makes man and beast tremble far and wide. Then it begins to roam through the neighborhood; and woe to the animal or man who approaches too near to it! It crouches like the cat, and will sometimes spring thirty feet. The results of such an attack are [196] terrible; for with one stroke of its paw it can kill a galloping horse, together with its rider. But it rarely attacks man.
The lion often overcomes animals larger than himself by means of his stealthy, cat-like habit of springing upon them unawares. He preys upon buffaloes, zebras, and even young elephants. Lions sometimes go in troops, being sociable rather than gregarious. The male aids in care and feeding of the young, which number from two to four, usually three, at a birth. The pupil of the lion’s eye is circular when contracted, not a narrow slit, as in the cat. The papillæ of its tongue are so large that it can rapidly rasp the flesh from bones by licking them.
Lynx (Felix lynx).—This animal, which is widely spread, is of a reddish grey, with darker spots on its upper parts and white on its lower parts. It is frequently seen upon the Alps, the Carpathian Mountains, and in the north of Europe and Asia. Hidden in the tops of low trees, it lies in wait for the passing animals, and springs even upon horses and stags. It commits great havoc among game, and is therefore eagerly hunted. Every year about fifty thousand furs of the common lynx and its nearest relations, the desert, polar, red, pardel, and bog lynx, are sold in the markets of the world.
Marten (Mustela martes).—The tree marten has a yellowish-brown fur and a reddish-yellow patch across its breast. It inhabits Europe and the western parts of Asia. It is always found in forests, where it lies hidden in hollow trees. It not only causes great destruction among game, but is also a great robber of useful birds. It also hunts squirrels, which, as soon as they get sight of it, try to escape as rapidly as possible.
Related to the tree marten are the Stone or House Marten (M. foina), which generally lives in the neighborhood of human habitations, and destroys poultry and eggs: the Pole Cat (Putorius fœtidus), which lives in the same localities and has the same injurious habits as the house marten: the small Weasel (P. vulgaris), is reddish brown on its upper parts, but on its lower parts whitish, and is over seven inches long. It is a useful animal, as it feeds chiefly on rats, mice, and badgers; it is also fond of eggs, which it carries under its chin: and the Ermine (P. ermineus), the fur of which is of a dazzling white color in the winter, and is the most valued of all furs.
Mink (Putorius), a name applied to several carnivores in the same genus as weasel, polecat, ferret, and ermine, and with essentially similar characteristics. The body measures from twelve to eighteen inches in length, not including the bushy tail. The color of the valuable fur is chestnut-brown. The Siberian vison (P. sibericus), the European vison (P. lutreola), and the American mink (P. vison) are very nearly related. They all live by rivers and lakes, feeding chiefly on fishes, frogs, mussels, and the like; though not refusing any small mammals which come in their way.