The National tribune., 1889-11-14

becoming aggressive However open TO crfsfcirra
they may be in detail the stories current abonA
the puma's exploits before fear of man IN
spired by firearms altered their character
had witness to the fact that once. these had
greatly impressed the popular mind: and shera
IS also notable difference between the procsss
by which such a reputation is established here
and that which originated the stories Acuns
and Artieda heard ON the AmazOns. A Tauuyo
or Mameluco Indian, apart from personal
experience of the dangerous or destructive
character OF this creature, looks upon the an
cestral type Of the animal as a god, and It ID
identified in his fancy with such superstitions
as the BOtOs-aquatic beings that transform
themselves into men, or with that BasiliSk-l like
worm, the MinhOcao, and with the hairy man
like monster of the forest the CaepOra, whose
shrek they shivered to hear at night, and who
turks IN the gloom of those deep woods 10 twisa
the necks Of unwary travellers.
On the other hand, long list Of writer's who in
their own estimation at least were authorities In
descriptive zoology. pronounce upon the pums's
pusillanimous and harmless character with the
utmost certainty. The puma is as eoWardlT
as the juguar Is feTOCiOus," SAYS James Ortoa
and his statement may be taken as repressnta-
tive OF whole class Of similar decisions, which
1t Is unnecessary to quote. They ara all xsn-
ordinations from insufficient data, and while IL
may be true that as rule the beast in ques-
ton seldom, if ever, attacks openly, and now
avoids contests with civilized men, it is never
theiess improbable that they comprehend the
whole of what might be said concerning .
creature capable of holding his own against bha
grizzly bear, and who has given rise TO records
of violence which are so volnminous Tha
writer in the Encyclopedia Britannica states
that " the puma rarely attacks men," but thu
Spanish explorers say otherwise. Prince Max
imiiian, Of Men WED, reports that the puma
is an arrant coward. Audubon thought that
they would not attack an animal so large a a
COW unless it were disabled, although DR..
Merriam's observations show that 20 feet On a
level is not an unusual spring, and although
it is presumable that these writers knsw
that an animal so inferior in size as the North
ern lynx sometimes destroys the elk. EFfm
Thurn regards those "Warracaba tigers" oK
whom the Guiana Indians stand in mortal
dread, as nothing more than families Of pumas
Darwin, moreover, who found the pugs Of this
animal at an altitude of 1000 feet on the Chill
ian Andes, says that in La Plata "it ssldora
attacks cattle, and most rarely man" Accord
ing to the common report prevailing in thea
regions, the puma takes its prey by q spring
from some elevated pOsition-usually in ioresR
country from the limb of = tree-uDon the
shoulders Of its destined victim, when it draws
the head backward until the neck is dislOcated
have SEEN" adds Darwin, ain Patagonia the
skeletons OF guanacOs with their neeks thus
IL
almost everyone else who has written Of she
puma's character, remarks that it is " peculiarly
susceptible Of domesticatiOn." There are sew
eral circumstances which should be taken insa
consideration in this connection, but which
appear to have been overlooked by the gen.
erallzers IN question. The puma is a cat and
in virtue of his family traits the most unsuE-
sceptible of all known animals to ciViIizing in
fuences. Further, the animal is q typical
specimen Of those great carnivoTa who have
been specialized for a predatory savage and
solitary life, so far back IN time that khelf
origin is lost to organic history. Finally
among earnivOTous creatures, he is one Of the
shyest, the most cruel and ruthless murdarsEs
OF them all and the presumption from thsES
facts is altogether at variance with the infer
ence which has been drawn from few indi-
vidual instances many times quoted. A wild
beast may refrain from killing its master with
out being credited with being harmless; and ID
may even be harmless 10 others in bis presenes
when it would otherwise be dangerous Tia
author bears in afectionate remembrance Q
splendid specimen Of this kind that was
brought when kitten from the Goden Mount
aims and committed TO his keeping Under
proper education it may be said to have KrowD
In grace continually, but it was never lifted
to adOrn general society. At no time during
its growth from infancy to maturity was is sYsF
anything but wild beast. One, indeed, that
was in its one intimate association with man,
so far as could be judged OF. entirely peaceable,
but in any other social relation not to Be trusted
for q moment. It staIked its master in sa
amiable way daily, and having escaped by the
carelessness Of servant from its quarters, 10
came to its death by attacking man on horse
back. Most likely if those who believe thas
organization and hereditary characters which
have been persistent through periods 50 pro-
tracted that when expressed in numbers the
figures convey nothing but an indefinite idea
OF duration, were TO try the experiment Of tam
ing pumas themselves they might dud reasons
for modifying their opinion.
To be eOnfiHEsdl