The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1850-03-09
From the burlington Free Press.
Il he Il ant her.


1Thia animal las been met with, ucvusion.
salty, in Vermont from the time Of ~ earliest
settle mrui, but wns never very commons and
~ the last 40 years, thc whole number killed
within the State Inns MOI, probably, exceeded
tplls doZm, The Opportunity therefore,
which have recently had % examine ono
Of lhcsc animals, killed only few days ago
,vitfiti the stu,r u,td presented toihs. INT
'gorsiry n, this place, has afforded ne much
Satisfaction. II WIS lnkcn lay Mr. BurrliL
"a TiIc WcSIcIU SI0T1 OT iT6 UI,CU Mountain,
Sn Muurhrscr, Bennington County OF the
.5di of Feb. 1850, IN IA common bear trup.-
Being caught by one paw only, aud man
iicsIng great fcroeily, " waa doomed impru-
.fyut ~ attempt To secure him alive, and he
~sus, therefore, killed 10y shooting him through
slIo body. Hc was purchased 10y Illc liun.L.
.sSARoEANr, and q f,w oihor gentlemen Of
Manchester, and, WIKI n pubic spirit and o
zG'nl for mo advancement Of science, which
- truly commondablo and worthy OF the I'M.
rnitnn ofnthorp, was forwarded TO Burlington,
free of cgitcnse, az contribution To the col
lcetana lar illustrating ttrr suhjoei of Nutu.
raj History IN the University Of Vermont
Tho specimen wns received in dnc condition,
sntl Ia rcgtr.lod az a mos; yNlublc Accession
40 the Museum al Ihs University
IN iis gcncml chnpctc risit,s, Il agrees very
swell will the description Of this nninhi. CIV
an la my History OF Vermont, Part !, Pagr
81. II wns n male, and was, evidently n
Young nniniul probably about two years old,
not having nitainrd Its Suil growth, its length
from the nose To the Insertion oflho tail wns
yua feet. The tail yGrinbrn measured %
~ inches, and the skin and hHr extended /
az inch beyond the ycriohrm, mula ng tlic to-
tnl length, from the nose to the extremity Of
abe iail, G feet inches. Its weight was Sc
pounds. The uyergc length ofihc American
Panther measured as above, when fully
grown, IN not far from 10 feet, and it's ave
rngc weight about 100 pounds. The height,
.gt Ake shoulders, Of tho specimen recently
urrt .enlea 10 the University, when the lcgs
were IN their most natural position, was 20
inches and at the rump "a inches The pro
fiic of the face measured 10 inches, and was
considerably archcd The width ofthc head
between, tho rara was from 4 10 Ia G inches
and between the cles . ~ inches, The
ears arc rounded aud their height was 3 2
inches The neck wns Hmnll IN proportion
qo fhu size er,hc body, having circuHfcr-
rncc uroniy i6 inchesneKt the head. The
circumference Of body Just behind the fore
legs was % inches, and the body was less
cylindrical, or llattcr vertically than il is
usually represented 10 be.
It's general color is darker, with less red,
Shan ds common in the full grown nnimai, be-
ing dark slightly gray, lighter beneath, np-
nrTTurtrIrrr n, tt-44- an-lhe- belly aud tnwny
wliiIc Asstwcon tile hind legs, The oNtrcm-
ity Of the tail, the outsdcs Of the ears, and
',he pnrts ofthc upper lip from which tho
whiskcrs proceed, arc black. The chin aud
lips, with the above cxccptions,nnd most of
the whiskors are of clear white.
In its teeth IL agrees completely, as TO
-pumbrr aud position, with our domestic cat,
TaViHg & intisors md = ruuiucs or tusks.Tu
cnch inv. aud 6 molars in the lower and &
an tho upper inv, making 80 la the whole
The CANNES project inch above tho gums,
aAd the cNSniynrous molars about "a oil mn
inch, giving the creature an extremely snVngo
.ospect when the mouth Is open. The 4th,
or ,posterior molur in Vho upper Jaw Is only
nnriiaNy developed, a1ording additional
-proof thM IL was young animal Tho
claws arc completely rotractlc. They ulcns-
uro about one,iDch in length, are very sharp
nhh sirong and arc Of pehrly WINE color,
with, n .bood-red lingo on The under side
1rcar tho hase. The limbs nro exceedingly
muscular aud strong, bat tho fore legs ana
paws nro much more robust aud powerful
thau thoac behind, n characteristic, which
has no, been sufficiently marked in Rny of
tho figures Of the animal which ! have
seen. a.
The vulgar names, which this ami NAL has
received, are very numerous. In Now Eng
lapd it was in early times, very generally call
ed tho Caiauiount but slniterly il is, perhaps
mare frequently called tho Panther. 10 the
southern npd western states, IL is called the
Cougar. and also the Painter IN corruption OF
s4uutherA further south il is called the Puma,
and the .arnertcan Lien. Whether iris den-
sicnI or not with the Jdgudr of South Amer
ica, is not yet well scllled. The scientific
uns,e of our animal is EtiiS eoncoIer, aud nj
though here called the Panther, II is dider-
nni species from the I'Wtldlis, or true Panther
OF 4Ito easXrn continent. The scientific
naune Of Tho Panther of the Anoients Is FSiiS1
Drrdus, but il not found on tho western con-
GiueuI.
In skinuing ,he specimen above described
,Ic brg,l, neck hrenst and the.iu Ynrd sides
~ lae fore legs were found to b. Iille1 wnh