The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-12-27
BLACK PAINTERS.


The Remarkable J2guar In the Hamburg
Thiergarden.
Black panthers are found in nearly
all large geological gardens, but the
Thiergarten of Hamburg boasts of pos
sessiug the only captive black jaguar
in the world 1t is also claimed by the
Brazilians that the skins brought in
from the provinces vary greatly in col
ors and spots, but not once in ten years
countered a jet black jaguar.
Since the range of this animal in
cludes to the south all Central and
South America, except the cooler dis
tricts of Patagonia, and to the north,
part of Texas and all of Mexico, it
might easily be COMPOUNDED with the
fabulous black karaguar. reported to
Mexicans tell strange stories of pow
erful black beast which they name a
night tiger and which they credit with
marvellous strength, more to be feared
than jaguars and puslas
These tales being rather mythical
and differing greatly in descriptive de-
tails. it will be necessary to catch one
of these betes noires or TO procure skin
and skeleton, in order to have unexag-
Grated facts.
Her iagship in Hamburg Is real
jaguar, possessing all the Characters
ties of the felis onca. with the excep-
ton of the colored spots OF the skin
When the color is rich yellow aud
marked off with large black spots and
rings, as is usually the case, the hand
some body tends to mollify the Zero
cious appearance, but the very sight of
this crouching. ll-black monster, with
its large furtive eyes and stealthy
movements is enough to inspire
the visitors with fear. She was
trapped in one of the thick for
ests near the Blumenau colony,
in the province of Santa Catharina, in
Brazil, and in reality she has proved to
be rather less savage than others which
have come from the same region. Her
comparatively mild temperament is
perhaps due to her femininity, for it re-
quires daring courage to pass the.South
American river banks, where their
ominous hoarse and oft-repeated ''pu
pu' is heard all the day long. The
jaguars are the more dangerous on ac-
count of their agility in climbing.
Watching from between the branches,
they will pounce down unawares upon
their victims. A few decades ago two
thousand were killed yearly. but they
are still numerous in the less inhabited
provinces. There they are bold and do
not hesitate to attack any animal. A
full-grown jaguar, after killing horse,
is able to swim across a river with it
and drag the carcass to it's haunts- In
the trees it is agile enough to pursue
and kill monkeys, and it will stand in
the shallow water watching for fish,
which it dexterously throws ashore
Much cunning is displayed in the capt
ure of turtles 1t will put a paw be-
tween the shells and drag it slowly on
the bank. Once ashore the shells are
apart in less time than it can be told,
and every particle of the luscious meat
is then devoured at ease.
If a jaguar has ever tasted human
d
and will even enter villages and not
hesitate to attack men and women.
The young female in the Hamburg
Thiergarten was an unmanageable
beast in the start, but with kind treat
ment has become quite docile. When
looking at her from the head down
ward the color seems totally black, but
looking the other way in the sunshine
brownish tints are seen where other
jaguars have their dark spots. A short
time ago the attempt was made to put
a prettily spotted mate in her cage, but
they could not agree together. A
friendship has lately been established
between her and male four years old,
and it is hoped that peace will con-
time. If SO an offspring will be
looked for by biologists.
who would like to know what kind Of
a skin will be the result of mating
these opposite colors. --Chicago Post