The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-11-07

way OF introduction 10 LnOse more conspicuous
animals in which most people viii always feel
the greatest interest.
Several species (Dr. Gray or varieties, as
Locktington and others hold, of the ocelOt-
Felis pardais-are distributed from
ARKANSAS TO PATAGONIA.
II Is an exceedingly handsome animal, as
rule measures from 26 TO % inches TO the root
of its tail, and weighs about % pounds. The
ground color huctuates between a tawuy-yel-
low and reddish-gray, and its markings consist
of somewhat elongated and irTegularly-shaped
borders of black, inclosing portion of the coat
dotted with one or more spots Of black. 1t
would avail nothing 70 write a descriptive
catalog of the smaller American cats, and they
are merely identified for the purpose of facilita-
ting any further investigation that may seem
desirable. So far as the skins OF this group are
concerned, they form two general divisions, al
though within each there exists much variety.
| In one the peage bears certain resemblance
in eoloring TO that of the jaguar; in the other
| it more or less closely approximate in hue TO
| the pumass skin. Taken together, these miner
! representatives of our great feral cats are or
| ganically very similar, and have much the
same habits Of life; all being carnivoFous, pred
atory, nocturnal and blOodthirsty. They take
| their prey after the same manner as the leopard,
and exhibit on a small scale all the character
| istic traits of their family. More restricted 10
n decidedly equinOctial range than the Ocelot,
/ is the margay (Felis tigrinal Of Mexico, Para
| quay and the intervening regions, . smaller,
more typical and rougher-coated creature
| than the former. There ara two species
tMivart) of this genus, and of these one is called
| ocelOtlike cat, from its resemblance TO that
| animal in cOloration, while the other. like the
coocollo, is incompletely striped. The latter
also has a short, broad skull, whereas in the
yaguarondi cat aud tho eyra, the head is
elongated and fattened vertically. Neither of
| these last-named animals are spotted; the first
| varies from blackish to reddish-gray, while the
eyra which has a slender form and short fore
legs like weasel, is Of "a reddish-yellOw or
| chestnuttint."
We now come TO the lynx which is quite a
| well known member of the eat family, and one
also whose geographical distribution is very
wide. embracing America from the Valley of
| Mexico TO beyond the northern frontier of
Canada aud regions widely cOntrasted in their
photography in Asia, Africa and Europe. On
this continent the Spotted Red and Canada lynx
exists only rs varieties and the latter is united
| with that of Northern Europe in one species
the Felis boreals. The Red lynx inhabitS the
| region lying between the southern reaches of
the Rio GFande aud the Middle States. while
in case of the Spotted lynx 10 is definitely con-
nected with the Canadian form by series of
coloratons representing every possible tran
siton tint.
Our information respecting the character and
habits of this specific form of eat is much more
full than was the case with its puma and
iaguar-l ike allies of Central and South America.
But although good deal has been written
about the Feis bOrealis,
NO CIVILIZED SPORTSMAN
hunts the animal as game and the most that
has been said is communicated so to speak, in
eidentally, aud not in the connected way in
which many of the other Felide are described.
In general. the lynx is spoken of as a wild.
solitary and shy creature, loving solitude and
avoiding the vicinity of settlements; but we
shall sec that this is too sweeping an assertion.
and that as Webber says of our lynx, and Lloyd
of that of northwestern Europe. the creature
is neither uniformly timid, nor does it alto
gether conline itself to uninhabited places
Springer probably meant the lynx when he
spoke of 4" that animal in our forests. evidently
belonging to tho feline race. which is called, on
account of its ferocity, the Indian Devil
Lunksoos." The lynx is ferocious, and blood
thirsty to excess, but it does not dev0ur Indians
and in all probability its reputation originated
in its uglness. Our Canada lynx has massive
head, with pointed aud tufted ears, powerful
Jaw set with teeth which seem to be dispropor-
tionately large, thick limbs and broad feet
having long. sharp and strong claws. The foot
pads are more or less covered with hair its size
is but little inferior to that of the wolf, and
tho coat, which in Winter assumes grayish
hue, is longer, thicker aud more staring than
that of The Red or Spotted varieties. Alto
gether, it is an Unlocking creature, aud what
is known of its character entirely corresponds
with its aspect Capt Baldwin states that the
young Red lynx may be readily domestieated
neither Butler, Ward, Dunraven or Hardy re-
fer to the animal as dangerous to man, and in
the only certain cases which have come undei
the authors notice where huRteTs have been in.
jured- of Lieut.. Aberg and LlOyd-the
wounds were received from lynxes that were
wounded and desperate. There is an account
by Watson of different kind, but it is not
offered heroNas undoubtedly true. He relates
that a certaiSa Mand. crtter named Smith was
attacked by lynx iI-the forests of northern