depend for their
[Page 163]
subsistence on their own success in chasing or surprising the various
animals on which they feed.

When a puma is treed by hunters, it is said to show great skill
in selecting a spot wherein it shall be best concealed from the
gazers below, and will even draw the neighboring branches about
its body to hide itself from the aim of the hunter's rifle. While
thus lying upon the branches the beast is almost invisible from
below, as its fur, when seen, harmonizes so well with the the bark
which covers the boughs, that the one can scarcely be distinguished
from the other.

The puma loves to hide in the branches of trees, and from this
eminence to launch itself upon the doomed animal that may pass within
its reach. It may, therefore, be easily imagined how treacherous a
foe the creature may be when ranging at will among the countless
trees and jungles of our American forests.

Although so stealthy and sly a creature the cougar possesses very
little cunning and is easily trapped. The Gun trap, page 20, is
commonly and successfully employed in South America in the capture
of the jaguar, as our title illustration, page 15, represents, and
it may also be used with the same success in trapping the puma.
The Bow trap, page 23, and the dead-fall described in the early part
of the book, will all be found to work admirably in the destruction
of this treacherous beast.

The animal may be entrapped alive, should any of our young trappers
dare to try the experiment.

There are two ways of accomplishing this. The first is by the aid
of a huge coop of logs, as described on page 30 or 33, and the other
by the Pit-fall, as exemplified on page 31. Huge twitch-ups may
also be constructed, using very strong wire. The bait may consist
of a fowl, sheep's head, or the heart of any animal. Fresh meat of
any kind will answer the purpose, and in the case of the Pit-fall
a live fowl is preferable to a dead one as it will attract the
puma by its motions, or by its cackling, and thus induce him to
_spring_ upon his prey, which will precipitate him to the bottom
of the pit and thus effect his capture.

They are commonly taken with the steel trap. The puma seldom leaves
the vicinity of the carcass of an animal it has killed until it is
all devoured. When such a carcass can be found the capture of the
beast is easily effected. Set the trap, size No. 5, page 143, near
the remains, and cover the carcass with leaves. The n