50 * NEW-YORK FAUNA. 



GENUS LYNCUS. Gray. 

 Ears triangular, more or less tufted. Tail shorter than the head 



THE NORTHERN LYNX 



Lyncus borealis. 



PLATE X. FIG. 2. 



Lynx Cat. Penn. Arct. Zool. Vol. 1, p. 50. 



Lynx de Canada. Cuv. Oss. Foss. Ed. altera. Vol. 4, p. 443. 



Felis borealis. Temminck, Monographic, p. 109. 



F. canadensis. Harlan, Fauna, p. 9S. 



The Northern Lynx. Godman, Am. Nat. Hist. Vol. 1, p. 302, figure. 



Canada Lynx. Richardson, F. B. A. Vol. 1, p. 101. 



F. canadensis. Emmons, Mass. Report, 1838, p. 27; 1840, p. 32. 



Characteristics. Grey, with darker spots. Ears acute, margined with rufous and black. 

 Tail shorter than the head. Soles hairy. Generally larger than the suc- 

 ceeding. 



Description, {from a fine adult male in the Collection of Prof Emmons.) Body raised 

 high on its legs. Head large and rounded. Ears triangular, 2'0 high, 3"5 apart, with long 

 black cylindrical tufts 2' 3 high. Eyes large, 1 '5 apart. Whiskers stiff, horizontal, arranged 

 in two oblique series, some of the longest 3 '5, and white; the posterior series brown horn- 

 color. A broad ruff commences behind or rather beneath the ears, and surrounds the neck, 

 except behind the ears, where there is comparatively a free interval ; on the sides of the head 

 it is short, but beneath it is from 3 - 5 to 4'0 long. (In the female, this ruff is much shorter, 

 and not particolored.) The fur is of two kinds ; a long fine wool, intermixed with longer 

 subrigid hairs. On the line of the back, the fur is 1 • 5 long ; on the belly it is loose and pen- 

 dulous, and 4 - 5 long. Base of the feet so densely furred as to conceal entirely the soles and 

 claws, which latter are white, long, curved, acute, and channelled beneath. 



Color. The general color is grey, intermixed with rufous and black. Margin of the lips, 

 upper margin of the nose and tip of the chin, bright rufous. Nose black, and slightly fur- 

 rowed in the centre. Front of the head grey. Eyes yellowish in the living state. Ears 

 white in front, margined with rufous, and behind this again bordered with black ; posterior 

 part of the ear, light ash ; ear tufts black. Ruff white in front, and behind this it is longer 

 and darker, approaching to black beneath ; on the sides of the head it is shorter, with a 

 greater admixture of rufous. On the back, the fur varies from reddish brown to blackish 

 brown at the base ; then dark brown or black, with hoary tips. Sides light fulvous at base, 

 tipped with hoary. Anterior part of fore and iiind legs, light fulvous. On the belly, the long 

 loose hairs are soiled white, with a slight admixture of light fulvous at the base, and here and 

 there scattered bunches of fulvous hairs. Tail rufous above for more than two-thirds of its 

 length, tipped broadly with black ; beneath rufous, mixed with lighter colored hairs. 



