The Lion—Conflicts with Travellers on Mount Atlas1—The Lion and the Hottentot—A Lion taken in—Narrow Escapes of Andersson and Dr. Livingstone—Lion-Hunting by the Arabs of the Atlas—By the Bushmen—The Asiatic Lion—The Lion and the Dog—The Tiger—The Javanese Jungle—The Peacock—Wide Northern Range of the Tiger—Tiger-Hunting in India—Miraculous Escape of an English Sportsman—Animals announcing the Tiger’s Presence—Turtle-Hunting of the Tiger on the Coasts of Java—The Panther and the Leopard3—The Cheetah4—The Jaguar5—The Puma6—The smaller American Felidæ—The Hyæna—Fables told of these abject7 Animals—The Striped Hyæna—The Spotted8 Hyæna—The Brown Hyæna.
The majestic9 form, the noble bearing, the stately stride, the fine proportions, the piercing eye, and the dreadful roar of the Lion, striking terror into the heart of every other animal, all combine to mark him with the stamp of royalty10. All nerve, all muscle, his enormous strength shows itself in the tremendous bound with which he rushes upon his prey11, in the447 rapid motions of his tail, one stroke of which is able to fell the strongest man to the ground, and in the expressive12 wrinkling of his brow.
No wonder that, ever inclined to judge from outward appearances, and to attribute to external beauty analogous13 qualities of mind, man has endowed the lion with a nobility of character which he in reality does not possess. For modern travellers, who have had occasion to observe him in his native wilds, far from awarding him the praise of chivalrous14 generosity15 and noble daring, rather describe him as a mean-spirited robber, prowling about at night-time in order to surprise a weaker prey.
The lion is distinguished17 from all other members of the feline18 tribe by the uniform colour of his tawny19 skin, by the black tuft at the end of his tail, and particularly by the long and sometimes blackish mane, which he is able to bristle20 when under the influence of passion, and which contributes so much to the beauty of the male, while it is wanting in the lioness, who, as everyone knows, is very inferior in size and comeliness21 to her stately mate.
His chief food consists of the flesh of the larger herbivorous animals, very few of which he is unable to master. Concealed22 in the high rushes on the river’s bank, he lies in ambush24 for the timorous25 herd26 of antelopes28 which at nightfall approach the water to quench29 their thirst. Slowly and cautiously the children of the waste advance; they listen with ears erect30, they strain their eyes to penetrate31 the thicket32’s gloom, but nothing suspicious appears or moves along the bank. Long and deeply they quaff33 the delicious draught34, when suddenly, with a giant spring, like lightning bursting from a cloud, the lion bounds upon the unsuspecting revellers, and the leader of the herd lies prostrate36 at his feet.
During the daytime the lion seldom attacks man, and sometimes even when meeting a traveller he is said to pass him by unnoticed; but when the shades of evening descend37, his mood undergoes a change. After sunset it is dangerous to venture into the woody and wild regions of Mount Atlas, for there the lion lies in wait, and there one finds him stretched across the narrow path. It is then that dramatic scenes of absorbing interest not unfrequently take place. When, so say the Bedouins,448 a single man thus meeting with a lion is possessed38 of an undaunted heart, he advances towards the monster brandishing40 his sword or flourishing his rifle high in the air, and, taking good care not to strike or to shoot, contents himself with pouring forth41 a torrent42 of abuse:—‘Oh, thou mean-spirited thief! thou pitiful waylayer43! thou son of one that never ventured to say no! think’st thou I fear thee? Knowest thou whose son I am? Arise, and let me pass!’ The lion waits till the man approaches quite near to him; then he retires, but soon stretches himself once more across the path; and thus by many a repeated trial puts the courage of the wanderer to the test. All the time the movements of the lion are attended with a dreadful noise, he breaks numberless branches with his tail, he roars, he growls45; like the cat with the mouse, he plays with the object of his repeated and singular attacks, keeping him perpetually suspended between hope and fear. If the man engaged in this combat keeps up his courage,—if, as the Arabs express themselves, ‘he holds fast his soul,’ then the brute46 at last quits him and seeks some other prey. But if the lion perceives that he has to do with an opponent whose courage falters47, whose voice trembles, who does not venture to utter a menace, then to terrify him still more he redoubles the described manœuvres. He approaches his victim, pushes him from the path, then leaves him and approaches again, and enjoys the agony of the wretch48, until at last he tears him to pieces.
The lion is said to have a particular liking49 for the flesh of the Hottentots, and it is surprising with what obstinacy50 he will follow one of these unfortunate savages52. Thus Mr. Barrow relates the adventure of a Namaqua Hottentot, who, endeavouring to drive his master’s cattle into a pool of water enclosed between two ridges53 of rocks, espied54 a huge lion couching in the midst of the pool. Terrified at the unexpected sight of such a beast, that seemed to have his eyes fixed55 upon him, he instantly took to his heels. In doing this he had presence of mind enough to run through the herd, concluding that if the lion should pursue he would take up with the first beast that presented itself. In this, however, he was mistaken. The lion broke through the herd, making directly after the Hottentot, who, on turning round and perceiving that the monster had singled him out, breathless and half dead with fear, scrambled449 up one of the tree-aloes, in the trunk of which a few steps had luckily been cut out to come at some birds’ nests that the branches contained. At the same moment the lion made a spring at him, but missing his aim, fell upon the ground. In surly silence he walked round the tree, casting at times a dreadful look towards the poor Hottentot, who screened himself from his sight behind the branches. Having remained silent and motionless for a length of time, he at length ventured to peep, hoping that the lion had taken his departure, when to his great terror and astonishment57, his eyes met those of the animal, which, as the poor fellow afterwards expressed himself, flashed fire at him. In short, the lion laid himself down at the foot of the tree, and did not remove from the place for twenty-four hours. At the end of this time, becoming parched58 with thirst, he went to a spring at some distance in order to drink. The Hottentot now, with trepidation59, ventured to descend, and scampered60 off home as fast as his feet could carry him.
On account as well of the devastation61 which he causes among the herds62 as of the pleasure of the chase, the lion is pursued and killed in North and in South Africa wherever he appears: a state of war which, as may well be supposed, is not without danger for the aggressive party. Thus, Andersson once fired upon a black-maned lion, one of the largest he ever encountered in Africa. Roused to fury by the slight wound he had received, the brute rapidly wheeled, rushed upon him with a dreadful roar, and at the distance of a few paces, couched as if about to spring, having his head imbedded, so to say, between his fore63 paws. Drawing a large hunting-knife, and slipping it over the wrist of his right hand, Andersson dropped on one knee, and thus prepared, awaited the onset64 of the lion. It was an awful moment of suspense65, and his situation was critical in the extreme. Still his presence of mind (a most indispensable quality in a South African hunter) never for a moment forsook66 him; indeed, he felt that nothing but the most perfect coolness and absolute self-command would be of any avail. He would now have become the assailant; but as, owing to the intervening bushes and clouds of dust raised by the lion’s lashing68 his tail against the ground, he was unable to see his head, while to aim at any other part would have been450 madness, he refrained from firing. Whilst intently watching every motion of the lion, the animal suddenly made a prodigious69 bound; but whether it was owing to his not perceiving his intended victim, who was partially70 concealed in the long grass, and instinctively71 threw his body on one side, or to his miscalculating the distance, he went clear over him, and alighted on the ground three or four paces beyond. Quick as thought Andersson now seized his advantage, and wheeling round on his knee, discharged his second barrel; and as the lion’s broadside was then towards him, lodged72 a ball in his shoulder, which it completely smashed. The infuriated animal now made a second and more determined73 rush; but owing to his disabled state was happily avoided, though only within a hair’s breadth, and giving up the contest, he retreated into a neighbouring wood, where his carcase was found a few days after.
Dr. Livingstone once had a still more narrow escape, for he was actually under the paws of a lion, whose fury he had roused by firing two bullets into him. ‘I was upon a little height; he caught my shoulder as he sprang, and we both came to the ground below together. Growling74 horribly close to my ear, he shook me as a terrier-dog does a rat. The shock produced a stupor75, similar to that which seems to be felt by a mouse after the first shake of the cat. It caused a sort of drowsiness76 in which there was no sense of pain nor feeling of terror, though quite conscious of all that was happening. It was like what patients partially under the influence of chloroform describe, who see all the operation, but feel not the knife. This singular condition was not the result of any mental process; the shake annihilated77 fear, and allowed no sense of horror in looking round at the beast. This peculiar78 state’ (a fine remark) ‘is probably produced in all animals killed by the carnivora; and if so, is a merciful provision by our benevolent79 Creator for lessening80 the pain of death. Turning round to relieve myself of the weight, as he had one paw on the back of my head, I saw his eyes directed to Mebalwé, who was trying to shoot him at a distance of ten or fifteen yards. His gun, a flint one, missed fire in both barrels; the lion immediately left me, and attacking Mebalwé, bit his thigh81. Another man attempted to spear the lion while451 he was biting Mebalwé. He left Mebalwé, and caught this man by the shoulder, but at that moment the bullets he had received took effect and he fell down dead. The whole was the work of a few moments, and must have been his paroxysm of dying rage. A wound from this animal’s tooth resembles a gun-shot wound; it is generally followed by a great deal of sloughing82 and discharge, and pains are felt in the part periodically ever afterwards. I had on a tartan jacket on the occasion, and I believe that it wiped off all the virus from the teeth that pierced the flesh, for my two companions in this affray have both suffered from the peculiar pains, while I have escaped with only the inconvenience of a false joint84 in my limb. The man whose shoulder was wounded showed me his wound actually burst forth afresh on the same month of the following year. This curious point deserves the attention of inquirers.’
In the Atlas, the lion is hunted in various ways. When he prowls about the neighbourhood of a Bedouin encampment, his presence is announced by various signs: at night, his dreadful roar resounds86; now an ox, now a foal is missing from the herd; at length even a member of the tribe disappears. Terror spreads among all the tents, the women tremble for their children, everywhere complaints are heard. The warriors87 decree the death of the obnoxious88 neighbour, and congregate89 on horse and on foot at the appointed hour and place. The thicket in which the lion conceals91 himself during the daytime has already been discovered, and the troop advances, the horsemen bringing up the rear. About fifty paces from the bush they halt, and draw up in three rows, the second ready to assist the first in case of need, the third an invincible92 reserve of excellent marksmen. Then commences a strange and animated93 scene. The first row abusing the lion, and at the same time sending a few balls into his covert94 to induce him to come out, utter loud exclamations95 of defiance96: ‘Where is he who fancies himself so brave, and ventures not to show himself before men? Surely it is not the lion, but a cowardly thief, a son of Scheitan, on whom Allah’s curse may rest!’
At length, the roused lion breaks forth. A momentary97 silence ensues. The lion roars, rolls his flaming eyes, retreats a few paces, stretches himself upon the ground, rises, smashes the branches452 with his tail. The front row give fire, the lion springs forward, if untouched, and generally falls under the balls of the second row, which immediately advance towards him. This moment, so critical for the lion, whose fury is fully98 excited, does not end the combat till he is hit in the head or in the heart. Often his hide has been pierced by a dozen balls before the mortal wound is given, so that sometimes, in case of a prolonged contest, several of the hunters are either killed or wounded. The horsemen remain as passive spectators of the fray83 so long as the lion keeps upon hilly ground, but when driven into the plain, their part begins, and a new combat of a no less original and dramatic character commences; as every rider, according to his zeal99 or courage, spurs his horse upon the monster, fires upon him at a short distance, then rapidly wheels as soon as the shot is made, and reloads again, to prepare for a new onset. The lion, attacked on all sides, and covered with wounds, fronts everywhere the enemy, springs forward, retreats, returns, and only falls after a glorious resistance, which must necessarily end in his defeat and death, as he is no match for a troop of well-mounted Arabs. After he has spent his power on a few monstrous100 springs, even an ordinary horse easily overtakes him. One must have been the witness of such a fight to form an idea of its animation101. Every rider utters loud imprecations, the white mantles102 that give so spectral103 an appearance to their dusky owners, fly in the air like ‘streamers long and gay,’ the carbines glisten104, the shots resound85, the lion roars; pursuit and flight alternate in rapid succession. Yet, in spite of the tumult105, accidents are rare, and the horsemen have generally nothing to fear but a fall from their steed, which might bring them under the claws of their enemy, or, what is oftener the case, the ball of an incautious comrade.
The Arabs have noticed that the day after the lion has carried away a piece of cattle, he generally remains106 in a state of drowsy107 inactivity, incapable108 of moving from his lair109. When the neighbourhood, which usually resounds with his evening roar, remains quiet, there is every reason to believe that the animal is gorged110 with his gluttonous111 repast. Then some huntsman, more courageous112 than his comrades, follows his trail into the thicket, levels his gun at the lethargic113 monster, and sends a ball into his head. Sometimes even, a hunter,453 relying on the deadly certainty of his aim, and desirous of acquiring fame by a display of chivalrous courage, rides forth alone into the thicket, on a moonlight night, challenges the lion with repeated shouts and imprecations, and lays him prostrate before he can make his fatal bound.
Dr. Livingstone informs us that the Bushmen likewise avail themselves of the torpidity114 consequent upon a full meal, to surprise the lion in his slumbers115, and shoot him with their poisoned arrows.
In ancient times, the lion was an inhabitant of south-eastern Europe. Herodotus relates that troops of lions came down the Macedonian mountains, to seize upon the baggage camels of Xerxes’ army, and even in the time of Alexander the Great, the animal, though rare, was not yet completely extirpated116.
In Asia also, where the lion is at present confined to Mesopotamia, the northern coast of the Persian Gulf117, and the north-western part of Hindostan, he formerly118 roamed over far more extensive domains119. The Asiatic lion differs from the African, by a more compressed form of body, a shorter mane, which sometimes is almost entirely120 wanting, and a much larger tuft of hair at the end of the tail.
Africa is the chief seat of the lion, the part of the world where he appears to perfection with all the attributes of his peculiar strength and beauty. There he is found in the wilds of the Atlas, as in the high mountain-lands of Abyssinia, from the Cape2 to Senegal, and from Mozambique to Congo, and probably more than one species of the royal animal, not yet accurately121 distinguished by the naturalist122, roams over this vast expanse.
While the lion reigns123 in Africa, the Tiger is lord and master of the Indian jungles. A splendid animal—elegantly striped with black on a white and golden ground; graceful124 in every movement, but of a most sanguinary and cruel nature. The lengthened125 body resting on short legs, wants the proud bearing of the lion, while the naked head, the wildly rolling eye, the scarlet126 tongue constantly lolling from the jaws127, and the whole expression of the tiger’s physiognomy, indicate an insatiable thirst for blood, a pitiless ferocity, which he wreaks128 indiscriminately on every living thing that comes within his grasp. In the bamboo jungle on the banks of pools and rivers, he waits454 for the approaching herd; there he seeks his prey, or rather multiplies his murders, for he often leaves the carcase of the axis129 or the nylghau still writhing130 in the agony of death, to throw himself upon new victims, whose bodies he rends131 with his claws, and then plunges132 his head into the gaping133 wound to absorb with deep and luxurious134 draughts135 the blood whose fountains he has just laid open.
Nothing can be more delightful136 than the aspect of a Javanese savannah, to which clumps137 of noble trees, planted by Nature’s hand, impart a park-like character; yet even during the daytime, the traveller rarely ventures to cross these beautiful wilds without being accompanied by a numerous retinue138. The horses frequently stand still, trembling all over, when their road leads them along some denser139 patch of the jungle, rising like an island from the grassy141 plain, for their acute scent142 informs them that a tiger lies concealed in the thicket, but a few paces from their path.
It is a remarkable143 fact that the peacock and the tiger are so frequently seen together. The voice of the bird is seldom heard during the daytime, but as soon as the shades of evening begin to veil the landscape, his loud and disagreeable screams awaken144 the echoes, announcing, as the Javanese say, that the tiger is setting forth on his murderous excursions. Then the traveller carefully bolts the door of his hut, and the solitary145 Javanese retreats to his palisadoed dwelling146, for the tyrant147 of the wilderness148 is abroad. At night his dreadful roar is heard, sometimes accompanied by the peacock’s discordant149 voice. Even in the villages, thinly scattered150 among the grass or alang-wilds of Java, there is no security against his attacks, in spite of the strong fences with which they are enclosed, and the watch-fires carefully kept burning between these and the huts.
TIGER.
India, South China, Sumatra, and Java are the chief seats of the tiger, who is unknown both in Ceylon and Borneo, while to the north he ranges as far as Mandschuria and the Upper Obi, and Jennisei (55°—56° N. lat.). A species of tiger identical with that of Bengal is common in the neighbourhood of Lake Aral, near Sussac (45° N. lat.), and Tennent mentions that he is found among the snows of Mount Ararat in Armenia. As Hindostan is separated from these northern tiger haunts by the455 great mountain chains of Kuen-Lun (35° N.), and of Mouztagh (42° N. lat.), each covered with perpetual snows, mere151 summer excursions are quite out of the question, and it is evident that the animal is able to live in a much more rigorous climate than is commonly imagined. Even in India the tiger is by no means confined to the sultry jungle, for we learn from Mr. Hodgson’s account of the mammalia of Nepaul, that in the Himalayas he is sometimes found at the very edge of perpetual snow.
Tiger-hunting is a chief pleasure of the Indian rajahs and zemindars, who, anxious that their favourite amusement may suffer no diminution152, forbid anyone else to chase on their domains, however much their poor vassals153 may have to suffer in consequence. But the delight they take in tiger-shooting never leads these cautious Nimrods so far as to endanger their precious persons. On some trees of the jungle a scaffolding is prepared, at a ludicrous height, for his Highness, who, at the appointed hour, makes his appearance with all the pomp of a petty Asiatic despot. The beating now begins, and is executed by a troop of miserable154 peasants, who most unwillingly155 submit to this forced and unpaid156 labour, which is the more dangerous for them as they are dispersed157 on a long line, instead of forming a troop, the only way to secure them against the attacks of the tiger. Thus they advance with a dreadful noise of drums, horns, and pistol-firing, driving the wild beasts of the jungle towards the scaffolding of their lord and master. At first the tigers, startled from their slumbers, retreat before them, but generally on approaching the scaffolding they guess the danger that awaits them and turn with a formidable growl44 upon the drivers. Sometimes, however, they summon resolution to rush with a few tremendous bounds through the perilous158 pass, and their flight is but rarely impeded159 by the ill-aimed shots of the ambuscade. Nevertheless, great compliments are paid to the noble sportsman for his ability and courage, and nobody says a word about the poor low-born wretches160 that may have been killed or mutilated by the infuriated brutes161.
Our English tiger-hunters generally proceed on a very different plan. Provided with very excellent double-barrelled rifles, and accompanied by a troop of well-armed, well-paid drivers, and a number of courageous dogs, they boldly enter the jungle to rouse the tiger from his lair. In front of the party generally marches the shikarree, or chief driver, who attentively162 reconnoitring456 the traces of the animal, points out the direction that is to be followed. On his right and left hand walk the English sportsmen, fully prepared for action, and behind them the most trustworthy of their followers163, with loaded rifles ready for an exchange with those that have been discharged. Then follows the music, consisting of four or five tambourins, a great drum, cymbals164, horns, a bell, and the repeated firing of pistols, and convoyed by men armed with swords and long halberds. A few slingsmen make up the rear, who are constantly throwing stones into the jungle over the heads of the foremost of the party, and even more effectually than the noise of the music drive the tiger from his lair. From time to time, one of the men climbs upon the summit of a tree, to observe the movements of the grass. The whole troop constantly forms a close body. The tiger in cold blood is never able to attack a company that announces itself in so turbulent a manner. If he ventures, it is only with half a heart; he hesitates, stops at a short distance, and gives the hunter time to salute165 him with a bullet.
The tiger is particularly fond of dense140 willow166 or bamboo bushes on swampy167 ground, as he there finds the cool shade he requires for his rest during the heat of the day, after his nocturnal excursions. It is then very difficult to detect him, but the other inhabitants of the jungle, particularly the peacock and the monkey, betray his presence. The scream of the former is an infallible sign that the tiger is rising from his lair; and the monkeys, who during the night are frequently surprised by the panther or the boa, never allow their watchfulness168 to be at fault during the day. They are never deceived in the animal which slinks into the thicket. If it is a deer or a wild boar, they remain perfectly169 quiet, but if it is a tiger or a panther, they utter a cry designed to warn their comrades of the approach of danger. When, on examining a jungle, the traveller sees a monkey quietly seated on the branches, he may be perfectly sure that no dangerous animal is lurking170 in the thicket.
JACKAL.
During the night the cry of the jackal frequently announces the tiger’s presence. When one of these vile171 animals is no longer able to hunt from age, or when he has been expelled from his troop, he is said to become the provider of the tiger, who, after having satiated457 himself on the spoil, leaves the remains to his famished172 scout173.
The tiger, who on the declivities of the Himalayas tears to pieces the swift-footed antelope27, lacerates on the desert sand coasts of Java the tardy174 tortoise, when at nightfall it leaves the sea to lay its eggs in the drift-sand at the foot of the dunes175. ‘Hundreds of tortoise skeletons lie scattered about the strand176, many of them five feet long and three feet broad; some bleached177 by time, others still fresh and bleeding. High in the air a number of birds of prey wheel about, scared by the traveller’s approach. Here is the place where the turtles are attacked by the wild dogs. In packs of from twenty to fifty, the growling rabble178 assail67 the poor sea animal at every accessible point, gnaw179 and tug180 at the feet and at the head, and succeed by united efforts in turning the huge creature upon its back. Then the abdominal181 scales are torn off, and the ravenous182 dogs hold a bloody183 meal on the flesh, intestines184, and eggs of their defenceless prey. Sometimes, however, the turtle escapes their rage, and dragging its lacerating tormentors along with it, succeeds in regaining185 the friendly sea. Nor do the dogs always enjoy an undisturbed repast; often during the night, the “lord of the wilderness,” the royal tiger, bursts out of the forest, pauses for a moment, casts a glance over the strand, approaches slowly, and then with one bound, accompanied by a terrific roar, springs among the dogs, scattering186 the howling band like chaff187 before the wind. And now it is the tiger’s turn to feast; but even he, though rarely, is sometimes disturbed by man. Thus on this lonely, melancholy188 coast, wild dogs and tigers wage an unequal war with the inhabitants of the ocean.’39
After the tiger and the lion, the Panther and the Leopard are the mightiest189 felidæ of the Old World. Although differently spotted, the ocelli or rounded marks on the panther being larger and more distinctly formed, they are probably only varieties of one and the same species, as many intermediate individuals have been observed.
Both animals are widely diffused190 through the tropical regions of the Old World, being natives of Africa, Persia, China, India,458 and many of the Indian islands; so that they have a much more extensive range than either the tiger or the lion. The manner in which they seize their prey, lurking near the sides of woods, and darting191 forward with a sudden spring, resembles that of the tiger; and the chase of the panther is said to be more dangerous than that of the lion, as it easily climbs the trees and pursues its enemy upon the branches.
The Cheetah, or hunting leopard (Gueparda jubata, guttata), which inhabits the greater part both of Asia and Africa, exhibits in its form and habits a mixture of the feline and canine192 tribes. Resembling the panther by its spotted skin, it is more elevated on its legs and less flattened193 on the fore part of its head. Its brain is more ample, and its claws touch the ground while walking, like those of the dog, which it resembles still further by its mild and docile194 nature. In India and Persia, where the Cheetahs195 are employed in the chase, they are carried, chained and hoodwinked, to the field in low cars. When the hunters come within view of a herd of antelopes, the Cheetah is liberated196, and the game is pointed90 out to him: he does not, however, immediately dash forward in pursuit, but steals along cautiously till he has nearly approached the herd unseen, when, with a few rapid and vigorous bounds, he darts197 on the timid game and strangles it almost instantaneously. Should he, however, fail in his first efforts and miss his prey, he attempts no pursuit, but returns to the call of his master, evidently disappointed, and generally almost breathless.
The same radical198 differences which draw so wide a line of demarcation between the monkeys of the Old and the New World are found also to distinguish the feline races of both hemispheres, so that it would be as vain to search in the American forests and savannahs for the Numidian lion, or the striped tiger, as on the banks of the Ganges or the Senegal for the tawny puma, or the spotted jaguar. While in the African plains the swift-footed springbok falls under the impetuous bound of the panther—or while the tiger and the buffalo199 engage in mortal combat in the Indian jungle—the bloodthirsty Jaguar, concealed in the high grass of the American llanos, lies in wait for the wild horse or the passing steer200.
The arrival of the Spaniards in the New World, so destructive to most of the Indian tribes with whom they came into contact,459 was beneficial at least to the large felidæ of tropical America, for they first introduced the horse and the ox into the western hemisphere, where these useful animals, finding a new and congenial home in the boundless201 savannahs and pampas which extend almost uninterruptedly from the Apure to Patagonia, have multiplied to an incredible extent. Since then the jaguar no longer considers the deer of the woods, the graceful agouti, or the slow capybara as his chief prey, but rejoices in the blood of the steed or ox, and is much more commonly met with in the herd-teeming savannahs than in the comparatively meagre hunting-grounds of the forest.
Of all the carnivora of the New World, perhaps with the sole exception of the grisly and the polar bears, the tyrants202 of the North American solitudes203, the Jaguar is the most formidable, resembling the panther by his spotted skin, but almost equalling the Bengal tiger in size and power. He roams about at all times of the day, swims over broad rivers, and even in the water proves a most dangerous foe204, for when driven to extremities205 he frequently turns against the boat, and forces his assailants to seek their safety by jumping overboard. Many an Indian, while wandering through thinly populated districts, where swampy thickets206 alternate with open grass plains, has been torn to pieces by the jaguar, and in many a lonely plantation207 the inhabitants hardly venture to leave their enclosures after sunset, for fear of his attacks. During Tschudi’s sojourn208 in Northern Peru, a jaguar penetrated209 into the hut of an Englishman who had settled in those parts, and dragging a boy of ten years out of his hammock, tore him to pieces and devoured211 him. Far from being afraid of man, this ferocious212 animal springs upon him when alone, and when pressed by hunger will even venture during the daytime into the mountain villages to seek its prey.
The chase of the jaguar requires great caution, yet keen sportsmen will venture, single-handed, to seek the jaguar in his lair, armed with a blow-pipe and poisoned arrows, or merely with a long and powerful lance. The praise which is due to the bold adventurers for their courage is, however, too often tarnished213 by their cruelty. Thus, a famous jaguar-hunter once showed Pöppig a large cavity under the tangled214 roots of a giant bombax-tree, where he had some time back discovered a female460 jaguar with her young. Dexterously215 rolling down a large stone, he closed the entrance, and then with fiendish delight slowly smoked the animals to death, by applying fire from time to time to their dungeon216. Having lost one-half of his scalp in a previous conflict with a jaguar, he pleaded his sufferings as an excuse for his barbarity.
To attack these creatures with a lance, a sure arm, a cool determined courage, and great bodily strength and dexterity217 are required; but even these qualities do not always ensure success if the hunter is unacquainted with the artifices218 of the animal. The jaguar generally waits for the attack in a sitting posture219, turning one side towards the assailant, and, as if unconcerned, moves his long tail to and fro. The hunter, carefully observing the eye of his adversary220, repeatedly menaces him with slight thrusts of his lance, which a gentle stroke of the paw playfully wards39 off; then seizing a favourable221 moment, he suddenly steps forward and plunges his weapon into his side. If the thrust be well aimed, a second is not necessary, for pressing with his full weight on the lance, the huntsman enlarges and deepens the mortal wound. But if the stroke is parried or glances off, the jaguar, roused to fury, bounds on his aggressor, and fells him to the ground with a stroke of his paw. Having his enemy now fully in his power, the jaguar looks at him quietly for a few moments as if enjoying his pangs222, like a cat playing with a mouse, and this short delay has not seldom enabled the companion of the unfortunate hunter to save his life by a timely shot.
All those that have escaped from one of these death-struggles affirm that the breath of the enraged223 animal is of a suffocating224 heat, with a smell like that of burning capsicum, and that its pestilential contact produces an inflammation of the throat, which lasts for several days. Those who are less inclined to desperate conflicts destroy the jaguar by poisoned pieces of meat, or else they lay pitfalls225 for him, when they kill him without running any personal risk. Like the cayman, the jaguar, after having once tasted the flesh of man, is said to prefer it to anything else. During his first solitary journeys through the American wilds, the traveller’s sensations, on meeting with the fresh footmarks of the monster, are like those of Robinson Crusoe when he discovered the vestiges226 of the savage51 on the beach of his lonely461 island; but as the animal itself very rarely crosses the wanderer’s path, he at length becomes completely indifferent, and roams about the wilderness as unconcernedly as if no beasts of prey existed under the forest shade, or among the high grasses of the savannah. During his long residence in Yuarmangua, Pöppig met but one jaguar, who, not deeming it advisable to engage in hostilities228, slowly retreated into the woods.
In the Brazilian campos great devastations are caused among the herds by the jaguar, who has strength enough to drag an ox to some distance. He frequently kills several bullocks in one night, and sucks their blood, leaving their flesh for a future repast. When, after having satiated himself, he retires to a neighbouring thicket, the vaqueros or herdsmen follow his bloody trail with their hounds; and as soon as the jaguar sees the pack approach, he seeks to climb the inclined trunk of a tree, and is then shot down from his insecure station. But the chase does not always terminate without accident or loss of life, as very strong jaguars229 will face the dogs, kill several of them, and frequently carry them away and devour210 them.
While Prince Maximilian of Neu Wied was travelling through the campos, he heard of the heroic conflict of three vaqueros with a monstrous jaguar that had never been known to retreat. One day, while following their herds through the woods, their dogs discovered the fresh foot-prints of the beast, and following the scent, soon brought it to a stand. Armed merely with their long lance-like varas, the bold men did not long deliberate, but resolutely230 advanced towards the jaguar, who stood confronting the dogs, and immediately bounding upon his new antagonists231, wounded them one after the other, though not without receiving repeated thrusts of their lances and knives. The least determined of the three, appalled232 by his wounds, at first retreated, but seeing the boldest of his companions lying prostrate under the paws of the monster, his courage revived, and the attack being vigorously renewed, the jaguar was at length killed. The bleeding and exhausted233 heroes were hardly able to crawl home in the evening. They pointed out the spot where they had fought, and where the jaguar was found swimming in his blood, surrounded by the dogs which he had torn to pieces.
462 It is a general belief among the Indians and the white inhabitants of Bengal that the jaguar has the power of fascination234. Many accounts are given to prove this; among others, a person informed Mr. Wallace that he had seen a jaguar standing235 at the foot of a high tree looking up into it. On the top was a howling monkey looking down at the jaguar, and jumping about from side to side, crying piteously. The jaguar stood still, the monkey continued descending236 lower and lower on the branches, still uttering its cries, till at length it fell down at the very feet of the jaguar, who seized and devoured it.
There is a black variety of the jaguar, on whose dark skin the ring-formed spots are still visible, and which is said to surpass the common species in size and ferocity.
The Couguar, or the Puma, as he is called by the Indians, is far inferior to the jaguar in courage, and consequently far less dangerous to man. On account of his brownish-red colour and great size, being the largest felis of the new world, he has also been named the American lion, but he has neither the mane nor the noble bearing of the ‘king of animals.’ In spite of his strength he is of so cowardly a disposition237 that he invariably takes to flight at the approach of man, and consequently inspires no fear on being met with in the wilderness; while even the boldest hunter instinctively starts back when, winding238 through the forest, he suddenly sees the sparkling eye of the jaguar intently fixed upon him.
The puma has a much wider range than the jaguar, for while the latter reaches in South America only to the forty-fifth degree of latitude239, and does not rove northwards beyond Sonora and New Mexico, the former roams from the Straits of Magellan to the Canadian lakes. The jaguar seldom ascends240 the mountains to a greater height than 3,000 feet, while in the warmer lateral241 valleys of the Andes the puma frequently lies in ambush for the vicuñas at an elevation242 of 10,000 feet above the level of the sea. He can climb trees with great facility, ascending243 even vertical244 trunks, and, like the lynx, will watch the opportunity of springing on such animals as happen to pass beneath. No less cruel than cowardly, he will destroy without necessity forty or fifty sheep when the occasion offers, and content himself with licking the blood of his victims. When caught young, he is easily tamed, and, like the common cat, shows his463 fondness at being caressed245 by the same kind of gentle purrings. Tschudi informs us that the Indians of the northern provinces frequently bring pumas246 to Lima, to show them for money. They either lead them by a rope, or carry them in a sack upon their back, until the sight-seers have assembled in sufficient number.
Besides the puma or the jaguar, tropical America possesses the beautifully variegated247 Ocelot (Felis pardalis); the Oscollo (F. celidogaster); the spotless, black-grey Jaguarundi (F. jaguarundi), which is not much larger than the European wild cat; the long-tailed, striped, and spotted Margay or Tiger-cat, and several other felidæ. All these smaller species hardly ever become dangerous to man, but they cause the death of many an agouti and cavy; and, with prodigious leaps, the affrighted monkey flies from their approach into the deepest recesses248 of the forest.
While the sanguinary felidæ may justly be called the eagles, the carrion-feeding Hyænas are the vultures, among the four-footed animals. Averse249 to the light of day, like the owl16 and the bat, they conceal23 themselves in dark caverns250, ruins, or burrows251, as long as the sun stands above the horizon, but at nightfall they come forth from their gloomy retreats with a lamentable253 howl or a satanic laugh, to seek their disgusting food on the fields, in churchyards, or on the borders of the sea. From the prodigious strength of their jaws and their teeth, they are not only able to masticate254 tendons, but to crush cartilages and bones; so that carcases almost entirely deprived of flesh still provide them with a plentiful255 banquet.
Though their nocturnal habits and savage aspect have rendered them an object of hatred256 and disgust to man, they seem destined257 to fill up an important station in the economy of Nature, by cleansing258 the earth of the remains of dead animals, which might otherwise infect the atmosphere with pestilential effluvia.
Among other fabulous259 qualities, a courage has been attributed to the hyæna which is completely alien to his base and grovelling260 nature. Far from venturing to attack the panther, or putting even the lion to flight, as Kämpfer pretended to have seen, he is in reality a most pusillanimous261 creature, and cautiously avoids a contest with animals much weaker than himself.464 Although his jaws are strong, he has not the sharp retractile claws of the felidæ, nor their formidable spring, his hind56 legs being comparatively feeble, and thus he can hardly become dangerous to the herds, though Bruce assures us that the hyænas destroyed many of his mules262 and asses227.
In Barbary, the Arabs pursue the hyænas on horseback, and run them down with their greyhounds, never thinking of wasting their powder on so abject a game. They are held in such contempt that huntsmen will fearlessly penetrate into the caverns where they are known to sojourn, first carefully stopping the opening with their burnous, to keep out the light of day. They then advance towards the snarling263 brute, address it in menacing language, seize and gag it, without its venturing upon the least resistance, and cudgel the animal out of the den35. The rough and ugly hide of the hyæna is but of little value, and in many tents its sight is not even tolerated, as if so unworthy a spoil could only bring misfortune to its owner.
The intractability of the hyæna is as fabulous as his courage or his cruelty. On the contrary, he is very easily tamed, and may be rendered as docile as the dog himself.
The striped hyæna is a native of Asiatic Turkey, Syria, and North Africa as far as the Senegal, while the spotted hyæna ranges over South Africa, from the Cape to Abyssinia. Both species attain264 the size of the wolf, and have similar habits. As the shark follows the ship, or the crow the caravan265, they are said to hover266 about the march of armies, as if taught by instinct that they have to expect the richest feast from the insanity267 of man.
The moonlight falling on the dark cypresses268 and snow-white tombs of the Oriental churchyards not seldom shines upon hungry hyænas busily employed in tearing the newly-buried corpses269 from their graves.
A remarkable peculiarity270 of the spotted hyæna is that when he first begins to run he appears lame252, so that one might almost fancy one of his legs was broken; but after a time this halting disappears, and he proceeds on his course very swiftly.
‘One night, in Maitsha,’ says Bruce, ‘being very intent on observation, I heard something pass behind me towards the bed, but upon looking round could perceive nothing. Having finished what I was then about, I went out of my tent, intending465 directly to return, which I immediately did, when I perceived large blue eyes glaring at me in the dark. I called upon my servant for a light, and there was a hyæna standing nigh the head of the bed, with two or three large bunches of candles in his mouth. To have fired at him, I was in danger of breaking my quadrant or other furniture; and he seemed, by keeping the candles steadily271 in his mouth, to wish for no other prey at that time. As his mouth was full, and he had no claws to tear with, I was not afraid of him, but with a pike struck him as near the heart as I could judge. It was not till then he showed any sign of fierceness, but upon feeling his wound he let drop the candles and endeavoured to run up the shaft272 of the spear to arrive at me, so that in self-defence I was obliged to draw a pistol from my girdle and shoot him, and nearly at the same time my servant cleft273 his skull274 with a battle-axe.’
The brown hyæna, which is found in South Africa, from the Cape to Mozambique and Senegambia, and has a more shaggy fur than the preceding species, has very different habits. He is particularly fond of the crustacea which the ebbing275 flood leaves behind upon the beach, or which the storm casts ashore276 in great quantities, and exclusively inhabits the coasts, where he is known under the name of the sea-shore wolf. His traces are everywhere to be met with on the strand, and night after night he prowls along the margin277 of the water, carefully examining the refuse of the retreating ocean.
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1
atlas
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| n.地图册，图表集 | |
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cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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leopard
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| n.豹 | |
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cheetah
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| n.(动物)猎豹 | |
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jaguar
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| n.美洲虎 | |
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puma
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| 美洲豹 | |
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abject
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| adj.极可怜的，卑屈的 | |
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spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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majestic
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| adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的 | |
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royalty
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| n.皇家，皇族 | |
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prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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analogous
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| adj.相似的；类似的 | |
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chivalrous
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| adj.武士精神的；对女人彬彬有礼的 | |
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generosity
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| n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为 | |
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owl
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| n.猫头鹰，枭 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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feline
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| adj.猫科的 | |
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tawny
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| adj.茶色的，黄褐色的；n.黄褐色 | |
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bristle
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| v.（毛发）直立，气势汹汹，发怒；n.硬毛发 | |
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comeliness
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| n. 清秀, 美丽, 合宜 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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ambush
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| n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击 | |
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timorous
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| adj.胆怯的，胆小的 | |
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herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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antelope
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| n.羚羊；羚羊皮 | |
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antelopes
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| 羚羊( antelope的名词复数 )； 羚羊皮革 | |
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quench
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| vt.熄灭，扑灭；压制 | |
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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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thicket
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| n.灌木丛，树林 | |
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quaff
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| v.一饮而尽；痛饮 | |
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draught
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| n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计 | |
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den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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wards
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| 区( ward的名词复数 )； 病房； 受监护的未成年者； 被人照顾或控制的状态 | |
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brandishing
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| v.挥舞( brandish的现在分词 )；炫耀 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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waylayer
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| [法] 挡路抢劫者，埋伏者，挡截者 | |
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growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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growls
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的第三人称单数 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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falters
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的第三人称单数 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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49
liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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obstinacy
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| n.顽固；（病痛等）难治 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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53
ridges
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| n.脊( ridge的名词复数 )；山脊；脊状突起；大气层的)高压脊 | |
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espied
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| v.看到( espy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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parched
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| adj.焦干的；极渴的；v.（使）焦干 | |
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trepidation
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| n.惊恐，惶恐 | |
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scampered
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| v.蹦蹦跳跳地跑，惊惶奔跑( scamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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devastation
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| n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤 | |
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herds
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| 兽群( herd的名词复数 )； 牧群； 人群； 群众 | |
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fore
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| adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部 | |
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onset
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| n.进攻，袭击，开始，突然开始 | |
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suspense
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| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
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forsook
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| forsake的过去式 | |
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assail
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| v.猛烈攻击，抨击，痛斥 | |
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lashing
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| n.鞭打；痛斥；大量；许多v.鞭打( lash的现在分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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prodigious
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| adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的 | |
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partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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growling
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| n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 | |
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stupor
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| v.昏迷；不省人事 | |
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drowsiness
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| n.睡意；嗜睡 | |
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annihilated
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| v.（彻底）消灭( annihilate的过去式和过去分词 )；使无效；废止；彻底击溃 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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benevolent
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| adj.仁慈的，乐善好施的 | |
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lessening
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| 减轻，减少，变小 | |
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thigh
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| n.大腿；股骨 | |
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82
sloughing
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| v.使蜕下或脱落( slough的现在分词 )；舍弃；除掉；摒弃 | |
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83
fray
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| v.争吵；打斗；磨损，磨破；n.吵架；打斗 | |
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84
joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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85
resound
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| v.回响 | |
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86
resounds
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| v.（指声音等）回荡于某处( resound的第三人称单数 )；产生回响；（指某处）回荡着声音 | |
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87
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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88
obnoxious
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| adj.极恼人的，讨人厌的，可憎的 | |
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89
congregate
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| v.(使)集合，聚集 | |
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90
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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91
conceals
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的第三人称单数 ) | |
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92
invincible
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| adj.不可征服的，难以制服的 | |
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93
animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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94
covert
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| adj.隐藏的；暗地里的 | |
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95
exclamations
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| n.呼喊( exclamation的名词复数 )；感叹；感叹语；感叹词 | |
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96
defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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97
momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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98
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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99
zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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100
monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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101
animation
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| n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作 | |
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102
mantles
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| vt.&vi.覆盖（mantle的第三人称单数形式） | |
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103
spectral
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| adj.幽灵的，鬼魂的 | |
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104
glisten
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| vi.（光洁或湿润表面等）闪闪发光，闪闪发亮 | |
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105
tumult
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| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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106
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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107
drowsy
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| adj.昏昏欲睡的，令人发困的 | |
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108
incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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109
lair
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| n.野兽的巢穴；躲藏处 | |
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110
gorged
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| v.（用食物把自己）塞饱，填饱( gorge的过去式和过去分词 )；作呕 | |
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111
gluttonous
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| adj.贪吃的，贪婪的 | |
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112
courageous
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| adj.勇敢的，有胆量的 | |
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113
lethargic
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| adj.昏睡的，懒洋洋的 | |
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114
torpidity
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| n.麻痹 | |
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115
slumbers
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| 睡眠，安眠( slumber的名词复数 ) | |
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116
extirpated
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| v.消灭，灭绝( extirpate的过去式和过去分词 )；根除 | |
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117
gulf
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| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
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118
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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119
domains
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| n.范围( domain的名词复数 )；领域；版图；地产 | |
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120
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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121
accurately
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| adv.准确地，精确地 | |
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122
naturalist
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| n.博物学家(尤指直接观察动植物者) | |
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123
reigns
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| n.君主的统治( reign的名词复数 )；君主统治时期；任期；当政期 | |
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124
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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125
lengthened
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| （时间或空间）延长，伸长( lengthen的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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126
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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127
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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128
wreaks
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| 诉诸（武力），施行（暴力），发（脾气）( wreak的第三人称单数 ) | |
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129
axis
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| n.轴，轴线，中心线；坐标轴，基准线 | |
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130
writhing
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 ) | |
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131
rends
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| v.撕碎( rend的第三人称单数 )；分裂；（因愤怒、痛苦等而）揪扯（衣服或头发等）；（声音等）刺破 | |
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132
plunges
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| n.跳进，投入vt.使投入，使插入，使陷入vi.投入，跳进，陷入v.颠簸( plunge的第三人称单数 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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133
gaping
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| adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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134
luxurious
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| adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的 | |
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135
draughts
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| n. <英>国际跳棋 | |
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136
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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137
clumps
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| n.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的名词复数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的第三人称单数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声 | |
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138
retinue
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| n.侍从；随员 | |
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139
denser
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| adj. 不易看透的, 密集的, 浓厚的, 愚钝的 | |
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140
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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141
grassy
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| adj.盖满草的；长满草的 | |
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142
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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143
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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144
awaken
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| vi.醒，觉醒；vt.唤醒，使觉醒，唤起，激起 | |
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145
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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146
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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147
tyrant
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| n.暴君，专制的君主，残暴的人 | |
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148
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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149
discordant
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| adj.不调和的 | |
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150
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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151
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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152
diminution
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| n.减少；变小 | |
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153
vassals
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| n.奴仆( vassal的名词复数 )；（封建时代）诸侯；从属者；下属 | |
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154
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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155
unwillingly
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| adv.不情愿地 | |
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156
unpaid
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| adj.未付款的，无报酬的 | |
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157
dispersed
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| adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
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158
perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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159
impeded
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| 阻碍，妨碍，阻止( impede的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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160
wretches
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| n.不幸的人( wretch的名词复数 )；可怜的人；恶棍；坏蛋 | |
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161
brutes
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| 兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性 | |
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162
attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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163
followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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164
cymbals
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| pl.铙钹 | |
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165
salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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166
willow
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| n.柳树 | |
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167
swampy
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| adj.沼泽的，湿地的 | |
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168
watchfulness
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| 警惕，留心； 警觉（性） | |
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169
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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170
lurking
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| 潜在 | |
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171
vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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172
famished
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| adj.饥饿的 | |
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173
scout
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| n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索 | |
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174
tardy
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| adj.缓慢的，迟缓的 | |
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175
dunes
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| 沙丘( dune的名词复数 ) | |
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176
strand
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| vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地） | |
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177
bleached
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| 漂白的，晒白的，颜色变浅的 | |
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178
rabble
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| n.乌合之众，暴民；下等人 | |
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179
gnaw
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| v.不断地啃、咬；使苦恼，折磨 | |
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180
tug
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| v.用力拖(或拉)；苦干；n.拖；苦干；拖船 | |
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181
abdominal
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| adj.腹（部）的，下腹的；n.腹肌 | |
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182
ravenous
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| adj.极饿的，贪婪的 | |
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183
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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184
intestines
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| n.肠( intestine的名词复数 ) | |
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185
regaining
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| 复得( regain的现在分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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186
scattering
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| n.[物]散射；散乱，分散；在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的；分散在不同范围的；广泛扩散的；（选票）数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式)；散布；驱散 | |
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187
chaff
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| v.取笑，嘲笑；n.谷壳 | |
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188
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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189
mightiest
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| adj.趾高气扬( mighty的最高级 )；巨大的；强有力的；浩瀚的 | |
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190
diffused
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| 散布的，普及的，扩散的 | |
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191
darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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192
canine
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| adj.犬的，犬科的 | |
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193
flattened
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| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
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194
docile
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| adj.驯服的，易控制的，容易教的 | |
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195
cheetahs
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| n.（奔跑极快的）非洲猎豹( cheetah的名词复数 ) | |
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196
liberated
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| a.无拘束的，放纵的 | |
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197
darts
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| n.掷飞镖游戏；飞镖( dart的名词复数 )；急驰，飞奔v.投掷，投射( dart的第三人称单数 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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198
radical
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| n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的 | |
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199
buffalo
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| n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛 | |
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200
steer
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| vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶 | |
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201
boundless
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| adj.无限的；无边无际的；巨大的 | |
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202
tyrants
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| 专制统治者( tyrant的名词复数 )； 暴君似的人； （古希腊的）僭主； 严酷的事物 | |
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203
solitudes
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| n.独居( solitude的名词复数 )；孤独；荒僻的地方；人迹罕至的地方 | |
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204
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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205
extremities
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| n.端点( extremity的名词复数 )；尽头；手和足；极窘迫的境地 | |
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206
thickets
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| n.灌木丛( thicket的名词复数 )；丛状物 | |
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207
plantation
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| n.种植园，大农场 | |
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208
sojourn
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| v./n.旅居，寄居；逗留 | |
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209
penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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devour
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| v.吞没；贪婪地注视或谛听，贪读；使着迷 | |
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211
devoured
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| 吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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212
ferocious
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| adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的 | |
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213
tarnished
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| （通常指金属）（使）失去光泽，（使）变灰暗( tarnish的过去式和过去分词 )； 玷污，败坏 | |
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214
tangled
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| adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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215
dexterously
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| adv.巧妙地，敏捷地 | |
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216
dungeon
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| n.地牢，土牢 | |
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217
dexterity
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| n.(手的)灵巧，灵活 | |
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218
artifices
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| n.灵巧( artifice的名词复数 )；诡计；巧妙办法；虚伪行为 | |
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219
posture
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| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
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220
adversary
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| adj.敌手，对手 | |
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221
favourable
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| adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的 | |
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222
pangs
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| 突然的剧痛( pang的名词复数 )； 悲痛 | |
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223
enraged
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| 使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 )； 歜； 激愤 | |
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224
suffocating
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| a.使人窒息的 | |
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225
pitfalls
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| （捕猎野兽用的）陷阱( pitfall的名词复数 )； 意想不到的困难，易犯的错误 | |
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226
vestiges
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| 残余部分( vestige的名词复数 )； 遗迹； 痕迹； 毫不 | |
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227
asses
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| n. 驴，愚蠢的人，臀部 adv. (常用作后置)用于贬损或骂人 | |
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228
hostilities
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| n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事 | |
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229
jaguars
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| n.（中、南美洲的）美洲虎( jaguar的名词复数 ) | |
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230
resolutely
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| adj.坚决地，果断地 | |
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231
antagonists
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| 对立[对抗] 者，对手，敌手( antagonist的名词复数 )； 对抗肌； 对抗药 | |
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232
appalled
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| v.使惊骇，使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的；丧胆的 | |
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233
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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234
fascination
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| n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋 | |
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235
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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236
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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237
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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238
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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239
latitude
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| n.纬度，行动或言论的自由(范围)，(pl.)地区 | |
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240
ascends
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的第三人称单数 ) | |
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241
lateral
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| adj.侧面的，旁边的 | |
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242
elevation
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| n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高 | |
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243
ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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244
vertical
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| adj.垂直的，顶点的，纵向的；n.垂直物，垂直的位置 | |
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245
caressed
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| 爱抚或抚摸…( caress的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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246
pumas
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| n.美洲狮( puma的名词复数 )；彪马；于1948年成立于德国荷索金劳勒(Herzogenaurach)的国际运动品牌；创始人：鲁道夫及达斯勒。 | |
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247
variegated
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| adj.斑驳的，杂色的 | |
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248
recesses
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| n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 )；（工作或业务活动的）中止或暂停期间；学校的课间休息；某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 )；将（墙）做成凹形，在（墙）上做壁龛；休息，休会，休庭 | |
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249
averse
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| adj.厌恶的；反对的，不乐意的 | |
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250
caverns
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| 大山洞，大洞穴( cavern的名词复数 ) | |
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251
burrows
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| n.地洞( burrow的名词复数 )v.挖掘（洞穴），挖洞( burrow的第三人称单数 )；翻寻 | |
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252
lame
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| adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的 | |
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253
lamentable
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| adj.令人惋惜的，悔恨的 | |
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254
masticate
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| v.咀嚼 | |
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255
plentiful
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| adj.富裕的，丰富的 | |
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256
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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257
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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258
cleansing
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| n. 净化(垃圾) adj. 清洁用的 动词cleanse的现在分词 | |
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259
fabulous
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| adj.极好的；极为巨大的；寓言中的，传说中的 | |
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260
grovelling
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| adj.卑下的，奴颜婢膝的v.卑躬屈节，奴颜婢膝( grovel的现在分词 )；趴 | |
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261
pusillanimous
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| adj.懦弱的，胆怯的 | |
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262
mules
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| 骡( mule的名词复数 )； 拖鞋； 顽固的人； 越境运毒者 | |
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263
snarling
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的现在分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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264
attain
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| vt.达到，获得，完成 | |
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265
caravan
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| n.大蓬车；活动房屋 | |
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266
hover
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| vi.翱翔，盘旋；徘徊；彷徨，犹豫 | |
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267
insanity
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| n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐 | |
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268
cypresses
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| n.柏属植物，柏树( cypress的名词复数 ) | |
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269
corpses
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| n.死尸，尸体( corpse的名词复数 ) | |
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270
peculiarity
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| n.独特性，特色；特殊的东西；怪癖 | |
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271
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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272
shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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273
cleft
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| n.裂缝；adj.裂开的 | |
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274
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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275
ebbing
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| （指潮水）退( ebb的现在分词 )； 落； 减少； 衰落 | |
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276
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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277
margin
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| n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘 | |
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