The Tower Menagerie : $b comprising the natural history of the animals contained in that establishment; with anecdotes of their characters and history.Bennett, Edward Turner
History
The Tower Menagerie : $b comprising the natural history of the animals contained in that establishment; with anecdotes of their characters and history.
The Spaniards and even the native Indians appear to take a pleasure in
hunting the Jaguar, whom they attack in various ways. One of the most
common is to chase him with a numerous pack of dogs, who, although they
dare not attack so formidable an opponent, frequently succeed in driving
him to seek refuge on a tree or in a thick copse. Should he trust himself
to the former, he is usually destroyed by the musket or the lance; but
if he has taken covert among the bushes, it is sometimes difficult to
aim at him with precision. In this latter case some of the Indians are
hardy enough to attack him single-handed; a perilous exploit, which,
according to D’Azara, they perform in the following manner. Armed only
with a lance, of five feet in length, they envelope their left arm
in a sheep-skin, by means of which they evade the first onset of the
furious animal, and gain sufficient time to plunge their weapon into his
body before he can turn upon them for a second attack. Another mode of
destroying him is by means of the lasso; but this method can of course
be employed only when the animal roams abroad upon the plains, or can be
driven by the dogs into an open space fit for the purpose. Riding at full
gallop with the lasso coiled up in their hands, these excellent horsemen
will throw the noose with such certainty and precision as infallibly to
secure their formidable enemy at the distance of a hundred paces, and to
place him completely at their mercy.
The Jaguar is generally said to be quite untameable, and to maintain
his savage ferocity even in a state of captivity, showing no symptoms
of attachment to those who have the care of him. This assertion is
amply contradicted by the fact that an individual confined in the Paris
Menagerie, was exceedingly mild in his temper, and particularly fond
of licking the hands of those with whom he was familiar; as was also
remarkably the case with the specimen lately in the Tower, whose portrait
ornaments the present article. This animal was obtained by Lord Exmouth
while on the American station, and accompanied the expedition to Algiers
at the memorable bombardment of that nest of pirates. On his return
to England, his Lordship gave it to the Marchioness of Londonderry,
who soon afterwards presented it to his Majesty, by whose order it was
placed in the Tower; where it continued until a short time since, when it
unfortunately died. Mr. Cops is, however, in expectation of being soon
enabled to replace it. It was exhibited under the name of the Panther, an
appellation which we have before stated that the Jaguar had erroneously
obtained, not only among the furriers, by whom it is universally so
called, but even among scientific zoologists.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
THE PUMA.
_FELIS CONCOLOR._ LINN.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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