160 KANSAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



THE PUMA OR AMERICAN LION. 



(Felis concolor. Linnaeus.) 

 By L. L. Dyche, University of Kansas, Lawrence. 

 Read before the Academy, at Topeka, December 31, 1904. 



TT appears that the first mention of the American lion was made by 

 -■- Christopher Columbus. He speaks of leones (lions) among other 

 things that he saw on the coast of Honduras and Nicaragua during 

 his fourth voyage, in 1502.^ 



The first mention I have been able to find of the animal being in 

 Kansas is in Zebulon Pike's notes on his journey from St. Louis 

 through the interior of Louisiana^ and the northwest provinces of 

 Spain. 



I find the following in Pike's journal for Friday. September 12, 

 1806: "Commenced our march at seven o'clock, and passed some 

 very rough flint hills ; my feet blistered, and were very sore. Stand- 

 ing on a hill, I beheld in one view below me buffaloes, elk, deer, cab- 

 rie (antelope), and panthers." 



When this was written Lieutenant Pike was camped, as near as it 

 is possible for me to make it out by comparison of maps, on the head 

 waters of the Walnut river, in the northern part of Butler county. He 

 continues to speak of the great quantities of game seen in this lo- 

 cality. The "Indians," he continues, "alleging it was the Kansas 

 hunting-ground, said they would destroy all the game they possibly 

 could." ^ 



From this point Lieutenant Pike continued his journey northwest 

 through Marion and Saline counties, passing through or very near 

 the localities where Florence, Marion and Salina are located. 



While making this journey, Lieutenant Pike says : "On the march 

 we are continually passing through herds of buffaloes, elks, and cab- 

 rie (antelopes). I prevented the men shooting at the game, not 

 merely because of scarcity of ammunition, but, as I conceived, the 

 laws of morality also forbade it." 



In volume XVI, page 278, of the reports of this society, Mr. J. R. 

 Mead says: "In the fall of 1859 the writer noticed skeletons of 

 buffalo calves, some recently killed and partly eaten, in the heavily 

 timbered bend of the Solomon river a few miles above its mouth. 



1. See True's article on the puma in National Museum Report, 1888-'89, p. 600. 



2. Kansas was then a part of the district of Louisiana. 



3. These Indians who accompanied Lieutenant Pike were from Missouri 



