misnamed tiger (_tigre_)--hence the anomalous stories to which we have
alluded. We may add that there is a _black_ jaguar in tropical America,
just as there is a _black_ panther in Asia. In neither case is it a
different species: only a variety as regards colour. In all other
respects the black and yellow kinds are alike. Even on the black ones
the spots are observable in a certain light, being of a deeper hue than
the general ground colour of the skin.

Thus, then, it is easy to distinguish a cheetah from a jaguar, or either
from a leopard or panther; but with regard to these last two, the
distinction is more difficult. In fact, so much are they alike, that
the two species are confounded even by naturalists; and it is yet an
undecided point which is the leopard, and which the panther! That there
are two distinct species is certain. The London furrier knows that
there are two kinds of skins, which he distinguishes mainly by the feel;
but the learned zoologist, Temminck, has pointed out a difference in the
anatomical structure. Both animals are natives of Africa, and both were
supposed to exist in Asia; but it is doubtful whether that known as the
leopard extends beyond the limits of the African continent. The panther
is that one which is a little heavier in the body, more cat-like in
shape, and of a deeper yellow in the ground colour; but, perhaps, the
truest distinction is found in the tail, which is longer in the panther
than in the leopard, and consists of a greater number of vertebrae.

The panther is a well-known animal in India and the Asiatic islands;
and, as already stated, there is a dark-skinned variety, commonly known
as the Black Panther of Java.

Taking the cat family according to size, the next that deserves mention
is the Couguar, or Puma. This is the panther of the Anglo-Americans,
and the lion (_leon_) of the Mexicans and South Americans. His colour
is a uniform tawny red, or calf colour; and he is inferior to the jaguar
in size, strength, and courage. Notwithstanding, he is a formidable
animal, and has been known to attack and destroy the larger mammalia.
When wounded, or at bay, he will also defend himself against a human
enemy; and there have been instances of hunters, both white and Indian,
having succumbed to his strength. His range extends over nearly the
whole continent of America; but he more particularly affects the deep
shadow of the forests; and, like the jaguar, he is a tree-cl