VOL. III.] The Puma in Southern Netv Mexico. 309 



errs on the former at all times, also all of Gray's and Watson's pub- 

 lications, and the monographers. 



[I had supposed that I had made it sufficiently clear that I was the 

 author of the var. brevijiorus of Cercocarpus parvifoliiis Nutt. in the 

 original paragraph in which it was printed, but it seems that there 

 is at least one person who has not clearly understood it, so I will 

 say again that the var. is to be credited to me alone.] 



NOTES ON THE OCCURRENCE OF THE PUMA {Fells 

 concolor L.) IN SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO. 



BY C. H. TYLER TOWNSEND. 

 [Read before the New Mexico Society for the Advancement of Science, Dec. i, 1892.] 



A recent paper by Mr. F. W. True, in the report of the U. S. 

 National Museum for 1888-89 (pp. 591-608, with plate XCIV), on 

 the puma, or American lion, prompts me to record some available 

 notes on the distribution of this animal in Southern New Mexico, 

 since there seem to be no recorded, instances of its occurrence in this 

 part of the country. 



The only case which I can personally vouch for is the following: 

 While camped at the base of the Organ Mountains, at the northeast- 

 ern end of the range, in the latter part of November, 1891, I saw a 

 puma one morning about 8 o'clock disappearing over a ridge of 

 rocks. He had emerged from the high and thick growth of Yucca 

 angiistifolla which covers the San Augustine plains at this point, 

 and had disappeared before I could get a shot at him. One of the 

 members of our party had passed within a few yards of a yucca, be- 

 hind which he was crouching at the time, but without seeing him. 

 He was apparently about three and one-half feet long, not including 

 tail, and was of a yellowish gray color. Subsequent search among 

 the rocks failed to show any trace of him. The same morning about 

 three miles west of this place some Mexican goat herders reported 

 that three tigers (Jlgres) had crossed the road at about eleven 

 o'clock, going toward the mountains. This locality is about twenty 

 miles east of Las Cruces, in Dona Ana County. 



The following case was given me by Mr. W. E, Baker: In April, 

 1891, while driving toward Fort Stanton, in Lincoln County, on the 



