Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1851-01-24
[wdu,a ior lhe rhiI.JsF hl, sal.,l,, L,pl,,.
The Bay Lynx, or Common Wild Cat;
wIrH ANE 'DurE> OF OTHER rElINE>. =
nv c. ". wtrHsH,
Apiker 81 "OH Hds, N, Gma,,' So. 80.

w Z. " MlAHsts
AuiIor 81 "Od His, N, Gma,,' 50. 80
The gcnas LyuN is ,cry celebrated IN lhose
classic and European lcgcnds, which. under
the name of facts, have come down 10 us a.
Natural History. The metaphor ~ which a
"I.ynS', eve represented as being ablc to
pierce through stone walls, is familiar to our
childhood. From very ancient Gm"', It has
bcca known through curious and Various as.
,ocia,ions. II is a sot OF anomaIy-ncIihcr
canine or feline, strictly, bu, holding an m.
terncdra,c position both in grade aud no,ori-
cts. Though 1t has been much identified
With the old world progress and story, Vet II
Is even NOR, intimately connected with the
as,ocia,iors Of tic new world pioneer life
With us. north or sonlh, everybody has heard
OF the LynS rufus. (or common Wild catO
c,cl though some mas have iLcnlIdci II With
the Canada Lynx, and others, puzzled by IT.
varied marking aui s.z'. NAV have called II
hy snndry nlm,,, such a. caiaInouni, etc. la
truth. even na,uralisis have been sadly per-
picked with regard To the true place OF this
genus, aud wc should not wonder that the
common people Of all countries should DC as
well. Il is unqusstionably the transition sI'c-
cics from the more defined genera, ielIs and
cams, and consequently, a, snb.gcnus' l''
definitions have bccOmc more involved. ln
the dental arrangement, there i only the
slight variation from ,hs, uf the irlincs oi one
molar lr,, on each side abo,c; for the rest,
they have shorter bodies IN proportion tn the
lcngth Of the legs, and shoT.sr tails. Their
resemblance 10 the genus capgs 10 which
those Ui lupus and vulpcs are snb-gcnera)
seems TO be- les, defined They approach the
dogs. no, Jy very distinct stages Of transition,
through both these sub-gcneIa. They live
more like the fox. on the ground, and aP-
pruach il, associa,ions more in choice Of To-
caliiies and manner of taking It's prey. 1t re-
scmblcs the dog in It's hee,ness, and more par
ticularly in its acute sense Of smell, which
no doubt gave rise to the legend about i,s be-
ing able TO see through stone wall-,he
acu,encss Of one sense being vulgarly 'ubs,i'
,u,ed for ,ha, Of another. Bu, the true phys.
zeal Characteristic which distinguishes this
from all other genera, is the 'ui' or pencil OF
hair which appears when they are IN full pc
lagc, on the points Of their ears This Is the
mos, prominent character Of the genus, which
| have LEFT To be cVnsidered last, because It va
ries 10 much with the shedding time and sea-
SIMS, ,ha, !, has been the most fruitful source
Of confusion in classifying the animal. Al
un. time i, is long, and at another scarcely
,sible-hence careless Observers have insist
ed upon mos, complicated subdivision OF
the genus.
81 shall take occasion il this article to allods ire
qoently to the la., great work Of J. j. Audub n
"THr viyrlKous QuApnurrp' OF NORTH
AsrRio. ;" which /. nov ia eour'e Of publication
I quote from the 6r.t volume Of the Letter Press
which !. the Only one ye, i''oed. h"ed''ed Io'H''
~ b Mr. Apdulon and Dr. Baehmah'