The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-11-23
THE WILD CAT.

To say that dog can whip hi
 weight in wild cats" is to pay about tn
 highest tribute to his strength, courag
 and activity which it is possible to pa, are very few dogs who would care t
 earn such tribute If they understood all it implied. Not that wild cat is o a specially aggressive dispositions; or the contrary he would sooner mind hi own business any time than fight. St anxious is he as a rule, to keep out O trouble that he has often been accused of cowardice; but he has, on so many occasions, given evidence of the mos desperate courage, that I doubt if the accusation is fair one. When wound ed or at bay he is perhaps as danger ous as any creature of his size. Many dog has been torn beyond recognition by those terrible teeth and claws, and have known a man to spend severa months in the hospital as the result oi a brief interview with "bob" cat 1 Lynx rufus was originally an inhab- | itant of the tropics but he gradually
 
 in many of the states from Texas to | Maine and also in several parts of Can ada. In appearance at this time of year i he is reddish brown animal about ] three feet long including short tail which is barred on top with rufus and black. The under surface of the body is yellowish white, spotted with black. In the spring the color of the upper parts will change to prayish brown. The female is much smaller and more slender than the male, and in looks and actions bears a stronger resemblance to the domestic eat. Her ears, like those of the male, are surmounted by tufts of [ coarse hair, less conspicuous, however, than those of the Canada lynx. The legs of the wild cat are long. and the feet large and armed with strong, sharp claws. The lind feet are webbed. At it's best it is a savage-looking crea- ture, and when it is angry 1t growls, spits and rolls its blazing eyes in Q manner which faithfully reflects the demon character within.
 The food of the bob cat varies with the seasons, and at all times depends largely on circumstances. In the warm weather, when game is plentiful, he takes his pick but in the winter he is often glad to take what he can get. He is fond of fish and frogs, and in the summer he follows the dry beds of the brooks and small rivers and fishes in the deep holes, He also eats hares, rabbits, squirrels and rats. and even beavers when he is lucky enough to get them He catches good many birds too, chiefly grouse, quail and oth- CT species which sleep on the ground. If the farmhouses are not too far out of the way he will visit them and carry off the poultry.
 Hunters often come upon his trail when they are out after other game and he is sometimes treed and killed as easily as is a raccoon or an, opossum At other times he will give the hounds a long chase by turning and doubling through the swamps and briar patches, and by some clever move perhaps out wit them in the end. Audubon was once an eye witness to a manoeuvre by which a wild cat out-did a pack of hounds. The naturalist was sitting in a forest and for some time had heard the baying of the dogs, when the ob- ject of the chase, fine bob cat. ap- peared quite close to him. Not far away was q fallen log and upon this the animal jumped. He ran back and forth along the top of it several times and then leaped as high as he could into a tree which grew near. The hounds soon came up, found the log, and after following the trail to and fro for some time finally gave up the hunt doubtless to the great satisfaction of the wild cat, who, from his lofty perch had been an interested specta- tor.
 On another occasion Audubon saw a wild cat exhibit remarkable cunning in order to secure wild turkey. The lynx, which was following flock of seemed to fully understand that if he tried to rush upon them they would fly away and leave him hungry. So after apparently satisfying himself IS to the general direction they were going to take, he made a wide detour, md getting well ahead of the flock, hid himself until they came up. Then as he unsuspecting birds strutted past. | 1e suddenly sprang out and seized one ,f them before it had time to fly.
 The other day I observed a domestic | at give a similar exhibition of cum lng She had located a mouse in the | grass, but at distance too great for | Ter to get him in a single leap.
 Several times she crouched and at tD1 tp a n 5rfp ,ach time she drew back her paw, evil lently realizing that she could not step gently enough in that long crisp grass. an idea struck her. She tood straight up on her hind legs as f to get her bearings, and then she made a wide circle to spot from which she could watch the movements f the mouse, but from which she could .lso advance on solid ground when the roper moment arrived.
 The wild cat is chiefly nocturnal in ts habits, but it is frequently seen broad in the daytime. Its nest of noss and leaves is usually made In a olIow tree, generally a standing one. ometimes, however, it is made in allen log and at other times in a tan le of creepers and bushes. The oung, from two to four in number, are orn anywhere from March until June, ccording to the mildness or severity of he climate.
 ERNEST HAROLD HAYNES.
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 ELIGiBLF. ".
 
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