I I j F E L I S CONO OLOPv
M&HHariharl. imp.
COUGAR. PUM A . PA N TH E R . AM ER IC A N LION.
FELIS CONCOLOR, Linn. Mantissa, (1771) p . 522.—Erxl. Syst. Reg. Anim. (1777) p. 511. sp. 17.—Schreb. Säugeth. (1778) Th. iii. p. 394.
tab. civ.—Gmel. Syst. Nat. (1788) vol. i. It 1, p. 79. sp. 9.—Fisçh. Zoogn. (1814) p. ,223. sp. 5.—Desm. Mamm. (1820) p. 218. no. 336,
pi. 94. figs. 1 & 2.—Ilari. Faun. Amer. (1825) p. 9 4—Guv. Ossem. Foss. (1825) vol. iv. p. 411.—Prinz Max. Beitr. Naturg. Brasil.
(l;&25) Band ii. p. 358.—Griff. Anim. King. (1827) p. 436.—Temm. Mon. Mamm. (1827) vol. i. p. 1 3 4—Less. Man. Mamm. (1827)
p. 190. sp. 5 0 7—Fisch. Syn. Mamm. (1829) p. 197.—F. Cuv. & St.-HUl. Hist. Mamm. (18 2 9 ) vol. ii. pi. 143.—Wils. IUustr. Zool.
(18 3 1 ) pi. i.—Fuller, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1832) p. 62.—Rengg. Zool. Joum. (1835) vol. v. p. 476.—Azara, Nat. Hist. Quad. Parag.
(18 3 8 ) p. 207.—Blainv. Ostéog. (1839-64) vol. ii. Atl. pis. vi., xi., xiv.—Wagn. Supp. Schreb. (18 4 1 ) p. 461.—Less. Nouv. Tab.
Règn. Anim. (18 4 2 ) p. 50. sp. 512.—Dekay, Nat. Hist. N . York, (1 8 4 2 ) p. 47.—D’Orbig. Voy. Amér. Mérid. (1847) p. 21.—Aud. &
Bach. Quad. N. Amer. (18 5 1 ) vol. ii. p. 305, pis. 96 & 97.—Burmeist. Ueber. Thiere Bras. (1854) p. 88.—Gerv. Nat. Hist. Mamm.
(18 5 5 ) p. 89.—Baird, U.S. Expl. Exped. (18 5 7 ) vol. viii. p. 83.—Id. U.S. Mex. Bound. Surv. (1859) p. 5.—Coop. & Suckl. Nat. Hist.
•Wash. Terr. (1859) p. 1 0 8—Bartl. Proc. Zool. Soc. (1861) p. 141.—Murray, Geogr. Distr. Mamm. (1866) p. 100— Cunningham, Proc.
Zool. Soc. (1868) p. 185.—Sclat Proc. Zool. Soc. (1868) p . 624.—Alston, Biol. Cent.-Amer. (1880) Mamm. p. 62.
FELIS NIGRA, Erxl. Syst. Règn. Anim. (17.77) p. 512. sp. 8.
FELIS DISCOLOR, Schreb. Säugeth. (17 7 8 ) p. 394.—Gmel. Syst. Nat. (1788) vol. i. pt. 1, p. 79. sp. 12.—Fisch. Zoogn. (1814) p. 223. sp. 6.—
Less. Man. Mamm. (1827) p. 190. sp. 509. .
PUMA, Penn. Hist. Quad. (1793) p. 289. sp. 189.
FELIS PUMA, Molina, Sagg. Stor. Nat. Chili, (18 1 0) p. 245. sp. 8.—Shaw, Gen. Zool. (1830) vol. i. p. 358. pi. 139.
BLACK PUMA, Jard. Nat. Libr. vol. xvi. p. 135. pi. 5.
FELIS UNICOLOR, Less. Man. Mamm. (1827) p. 190. sp. 508.
LEOPARDUS CONCOLOR, J. E. Gray, Cat. Mamm. Brit. Mus., (1842) p. 41.—Moore, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1859) p. 51.—J. E. Gray, Proc. Zool.
Soc. (1867) p. 265 Id. Cat. Cam. Mamm. (1869) p. 12.
PANTHERA (PUMA) CONCOLOR, Severtz. Rev. et M ag. Zool. (1858) p. 385.
PANTHERA CONCOLOR, Fitzing. Sitzungsb. Akad. W iss. Wien, (1869) lix. p. 629.
PANTHERA CONCOLOR NIGRA, id. ibid. p. 634.
PANTHERA (PUMA) CONCOLOR, id. ibid. p. 636.
Hab. Found generally over all North and South America from 45° N. to the Straits of Magellan.
T h e Cougar, Puma, Panther, or American Lion, hy each and all of which names this species is known in America, is
shy and retiring in its habits, and frequents the wildest portions of the country, hiding in swamps or in the fastnesses of
the mountain-ranges. In the western and southern parts it is sometimes seen upon the open prairie, although generally
it keeps to the woods and thick coverts. I t will at times attack cattle;, but its chief means of subsistence are small
animals, such as young deer, raccoons, turkeys, &c.; and it is said that when pressed by hunger the Puma will even eat
carrion. Although it will fight hard when obliged to defend itself, and is capable of inflicting severe and dangerous
wounds with its teeth and claws, yet the Cougar will always flee from man’s presence; and even the barking of a small
dog will be frequently sufficient to cause it to take refuge in a tree. I t is distributed sparsely over all North and South
America, having been found from north latitude 45° to the Straits of Magellan. Sometimes it will remain in the
vicinity of a dead animal, which it has either killed or perchance found, until it has entirely consumed it, retiring after
a full meal to some place of concealment, and returning again when called forth by hunger. Although sometimes met
with by day, the Cougar is a nocturnal animal, being able to see well by night; and its velvet feet enable it to steal
noiselessly upon its unsuspecting prey. It climbs trees with great facility, and usually returns to the ground by a single
spring, and at once hounds away, if pursued, at a full canter. Accounts are not wanting of the Puma having attacked men
unprovoked; but these attacks are rare, and generally caused by the animal having been long without food. The following
is related by Audubon and Bachman:—“ Two raftsmen on the Yazoo river one night encamped on the bank under a
small tent they carried with them, just large enough to cover two. They had a merry supper, and, having made a large