52 NEW-YORK FAUNA. 



or five parallel narrow interrupted lines of black, running towards the cheeks. Ears fulvous 

 in front, black behind, with a greyish spot in the centre, dilated towards the external margin 

 of the ear. Tail above of the same general color of the upper parts of the body, indistinctly 

 annulated on its sides with dark brown ; beneath, white ; tip, deep black, intermixed with a 

 few white hairs. Outer sides of the legs rufous, obsoletely barred, and spotted with reddish 

 brown. Insides of the fore legs soiled white, barred with black. (Pennant supposes these 

 bars and the semi-annulated tail to be constant specific characters, but this does not accord with 

 my observations.) Fore paws and hair between the soles, dark brown. Hind legs whitish 

 on the inside, obscurely barred and spotted with black. Chin greyish ; throat bright fulvous ; 

 belly whitish, irregularly spotted with black. 



Total length, 36"0. 



Length of head, 6 - 0. 



Ditto of tail (vertebra?), 5 • 0. 



This was a large individual, and, as I think, above the average size, and more distinctly 

 marked than usual. It was captured in the Tonnewanda swamp, Genesee county. The 

 females, I am induced to believe, either have no tufts, or lose them in summer. Even, how- 

 ever, in the case of the males, they can scarcely be considered as resembling the round elon- 

 gated tufts of the other species. 



I am indebted to Prof. Hall, of the Geological Survey, for the specimen which furnished 

 the above description. Prof. Emmons describes this species as rufous, with the insides of 

 the legs spotted with brown, and a triangular patch of yellowish white bordered with blackish 

 behind the ears. Godman, describing the animal as deep reddish with small spots of blackish 

 brown, speaks of nearly vertical streaks of black between the ears. I suppose the Moun- 

 tain Cat described by Loskiel as having reddish or orange-colored hair, with black streaks, to 

 have been the Bay Lynx. 



The F. rufa of Richardson, from Columbia river, can not be referred to this species. 

 Several species have been enumerated as inhabiting the United States ; but as I have not had 

 an opportunity to examine them, I must pass them over in silence. It is scarcely worth while 

 to burthen our list of American animals with new names, proposed by greedy and unscrupulous 

 writers, for animals which they have never seen, and only know from the brief notes of tra- 

 vellers. It would be desirable if the remarks of Temminck, cited below,* could be continually 

 borne in mind by all writers, not only in reference to this, but every other genus. 



The Wild Cat is one of the animals alluded to by Vanderdonck, as being very common in 

 the Colony at its first settlement. A hundred and thirty years ago, they were so numerous in 

 Suffolk county, as to recjuire the interposition of the Legislature. An act was passed in the 



* " Ceux qui veulent decrire les Chats sur des individus isolcs, seront sans cesse exposes a multiplier les especes. II faut 

 avoir vu un tres-grand nombre de depouilles, et s'etre adonne a des recherehes et a des comparaisons souvent renouvellees, pour 

 emettre une opinion sur la difference speeifique de ces animaux, si difficiles de distinguer les uns des autres." (Monogra- 

 pftits, <fc) 



