The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-12-09

Ofthe hunting habits OF the panther many
stories are told, and from these one learns that
II Is about the latest hunter In the world as
well as the most playful. 1t creeps up slowly on
the guanaco horus' PICKS out a rat one, and then
with quivering fur and flaming eyes it leaps at
Its victim. Two mighty bounds, no more, no
less and IL lands on the BACK OF the guanaco,
and with a sweep OF It's right paw II dislocates
It's victims neck. Down the TWO go In a heap
ana then the panther tears open the neck OF the
guanaoo and drinks the hot sweet blood that
gushes out. THIS done, the carcass Is usually
covered up with brush as IL Tor future use but
as a matter OF factthe oondors or other carrion
birds usually pick tue bones.
That, Mt least is the story OF a Partners at
tack when 1t Is lucky. Hair the time the qua
naco hears or smells Its enemy In time to leap
away In safety. Inc panther never chases us
game. even when IL gets SO close as 10 tear
bloody stripes In its nank.
At times the panther finds the herd feeding In
the open, where no shelter behind which 1t can
reach Its prey isto be had. Thereat the willy
panther lies down on Its back behind a push
thaS may be afar OIL, ana claws the air, hrst
with one paw, then with another and then with
both. Up will como its hind legs next, or Its tail
will stand erect, with the tip waving from side
to side. These motions are something guanaco
the decoy by starts and hesitating runs, but 1t
comes, and SO meets its death.
1t Is o fine savage, the panther. 1tkils for the
love OF slaughter, kills with rather greater en-
ergy when its hunger Is well satisfied than when
hungry. Shepherds told me Of losing from forty
to 100 sheep In a night, the mother with young
cubs being the most destructive. not that she
may feed her young, but because she is then most
playful. She kills for fun. The guanaco is the
panther's staple food. but horses, sheep. and
young cattle are all liked by 1t. Indeed. no liv-
Ing being OF the desert except man escapes its
appetite for murder, one may say, for 1t claws
down the whirring partridge as she springs from
her nest. which 1t afterward robs OF Its eggs;
It snatches the duck or the goose from Its feed
ing place at the edge Of a lagoon; it brushes the
shell of the waddling armadillo; 1t digs the
mouse from its nest In the grass; II stalks the
desert prairie dog tVfzcdehd Ld0ostoInus Irtcho-
ddctyius). and. lodging with easy motion the
fangs OF the serpent, IL turns to claw and strip
out Its life before It can coll to strike again.
And yet with all this. II makes q charming
household pet. never heard OF one being kept
longer than three years. but none or those de-
scrioed as pets was ever Killed Tor personal
harm done. or even Ill temper shown toward a
human being. The shepherds and gauchos agree
that the panther is always kitten at heart, SO
far as man Is concered.. but II has an instructive
dislike for dogs and love for colts and lambs.
These failings. in spite OF good training, will
sooner or later get q panther into trouble on the
ranch, and then even the VIE and children
plead In vain for It's life,
To attempt to tell all that the traveller
can learn about the animals OF Patagonia In q
voyage along shore would be to write q book.
but some OF the smaller tribes, because OF their
peculiarities, must be mentioned.
OF all these. first place seems due to the ro-
dent which Is mentioned above under the name
OF vizcacha. II Is but rarely found on the des-
ert, because 1t prefers a grassy plain for a home,
as do the prairie dogs OF the States, but 1t has
peculiagities that must be OF interest to every
one. Unlike the ordinary b~urrowing animals
which invariably dig their homes under shrub