The Burgess Animal Book for ChildrenBurgess, Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo)
General
The Burgess Animal Book for Children
Burgess, Thornton W. (Thornton Waldo)
Animal behavior -- Juvenile literature; Zoology -- Juvenile literature
“Men hunt him with Dogs, for as I have already told you he will run
from a barking Dog. Usually he doesn't run far before taking to a
tree. The hunters follow and shoot him there. Were it not that he
can be hunted in this way with Dogs, he would have little to fear
from man, for he is so keen of sight and hearing and can move so
swiftly and silently, that it is rarely man can surprise him.
Sometimes he will follow a man just as Tufty the Lynx does, but
usually for the same reason--curiosity. Despite the fact that he
is a sneak and coward, he is so big and fierce-looking that he is
feared by most men. Only those who really know him do not fear him.
“There is one other member of the Cat family in all this great land
larger than Puma, and this is Jaguar, also called El Tigre. He is
found only in a small part of the extreme Southwest, for he really
belongs in the hot country to the south of this. Not only is he
the largest, but he is the handsomest of all the Cat family. His
coat is a beautiful deep yellow, covered with spots and rosettes of
black. Beneath he is white with large black spots. He also has a
fairly long tail. He is thick and heavy, and is not as long as
Puma, but is stouter and heavier. He can kill Horses, Mules and
Cattle with ease, but of course the principal part of his food
consists of the wild animals about him. He is so savage in appearance
that the mere sight of him always awakens fear. His method of hunting
is much the same as that of the other members of the Cat family. Most
of his hunting is done at night. While Puma the panther sometimes
screams, Jaguar roars, and it is a very terrifying sound. All the
little people and most of the big ones within hearing shiver when
they hear it. Jaguar's head is large and he is tremendously strong
in the jaws. Occasionally Jaguar is all black instead of being
yellow and spotted.
“In this same part of the great Southwest lives a smaller cousin
named Ocelot, often called Tiger Cat. Ocelot is only a little
bigger than Black Pussy, whom you all know, and in shape is very
like her. He also has a lovely coat. It is yellow, not a deep,
rich yellow like Jaguar's, but a light yellow, thickly covered with
black spots. On his cheeks and the back of his neck are black lines,
and his tail is ringed with black. He likes best country where the
brush is very thick and thorny, for there he can hunt in safety,
with little fear of being hunted by man. Because of his smaller
size, he lives chiefly on small animals, birds and reptiles. He
sometimes kills and eats big Snakes. When he happens to live near
man, he robs the Hen roosts just as Yowler does. In all his ways
he is like the other members of the Cat family.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account