CAT FAMILY 



157 



its attacking full-grown deer are not to be credi- 

 ted. Its haunts are in the deep forests and bush 

 districts, remote from the paths of man ; and 

 consequently it rarely intrudes upon the barn- 

 yard. Its ordinary gait when in a hurry is a 

 long gallop, like that of the hare, and it is said 

 to swim well. The female commonly has two 

 voung at a birth, her lair being located in a 

 cavern or hollow tree." 



When leaping over the ground, with back 

 arched, and tail so short as to be almost indis- 

 cernible, it presents an appearance that has 



been described by hunters and backwoodsmen 

 as laughable and peculiar in the extreme. 



The Lynx is seldom hunted systematically, as 

 are other game animals, unless it be by profes- 

 sional hunters or trappers, who value it for the 

 ])elt. With them the usual method is to hunt it 

 with dogs trained to follow the trail by scent. 

 In other cases the track is followed through the 

 snow, but hunters following such a lead must 

 be prepared for a long arduous chase of many 

 hours, because of' its combination of cunning, 

 agility, and endurance. 



WILD CAT 

 Lynx ruffus (Glildeiistaedt) 



Other Names. — Bobcat. Bay Lynx, Red Lynx. 



General Description. — \'ery similar to Canadian 

 Lynx q. v. but rather smaller and with detailed dif- 

 ferences. Form thick-set ; legs long, tail short but 

 longer than that of Canadian Lynx ; ears prominent but 

 not conspicuously tufted; feet large but smaller than 

 those of Canadian Lynx ; ruf? of hair on side of head. 

 General color pale rufous-brown, spotted on sides with 

 dark-brown ; fur soft and full. 



Dental Formula. — Same as that given for Canadian 

 Ly n X . 



Pelage. — Sexes similar. No very noticeable seasonal 

 variation. Adults: Yellowish-brown above, spotted on 

 sides with dark-brown ; brown stripe on forehead and 

 one on back and tail ; underparts yellowish-white 

 spotted with black ; legs yellowish-brown spotted with 

 black on outside, dull white on underside, barred with 

 black : chin and throat whitish ; breast white barred 

 with black ; two white bars across cheek ; ears tipped 

 with black; tail with broken bars of dark brown on 

 upper surface, end spotted. 



Measurements. — Length. 36 inches ; tail, 6J^ inches ; 

 hind foot. 7 inches. Weight, 20 pounds. 



Range. — Central North America from southern 

 Georgia to Maine. 



Food. — Mammals and birds. 



Remarks. — The Wild Cats form rather a larger 

 group containing more species than are to be found in 

 that section of the genus which contains the Canadian 

 Lynx. They range over a much more diversified habitat 

 and consequently more variations in size and color are 

 met with. The distinguishing features between the 

 Canadian Lynx and the Wild Cat have been set forth 

 in the synopsis on the Lynx, as well as in the general 

 characters outlined above. Some eleven species of 

 Wild Cats are known from the Rio Grande northward. 



Rel.^ted Species 

 Bay Lynx, or Wild Cat.— Z..r«.f ruffus ruffus 

 (Guldenstaedt). Typical animal of the above descrip- 



tion. Eastern Noith .'America from southern Canada 

 to the Gulf States. 



Florida Wild Cat. — LyiLr ruff'iis floridanus 

 (Rafinesque). Feet smaller; darker in color; spotted. 

 Florida. 



Texas Wild Cat. — Lynx ruffus tcxcnsis (Allen). 

 Chestnut brown above, spotted and sprinkled with 

 lilack ; size small. Texas and New Mexico to southern 

 California. 



Desert Wild Cat. — Lyttx ruffus crcinicus Mearns. 

 .\ pale desert form. Above, grayish tawny olive, more 

 or less mottled or spotted with brown or blackish, 

 usually with pair of narrow interrupted black stripes on 

 back; an indefinite whitish eye ring surrounding black 

 eyelids ; whiskers with several rows of small black 

 spots at their bases ; convex surface of ears black, with 

 triangular pale gray spot; upper side of tail similar to 

 back, with black tip. and one to si.x black bars ; beneath 

 grayish-white with black spot on inner side of limbs. 

 A white, buffy or tawny band across breast; belly 

 white, spotted with black. Central and southern Cali- 

 fornia. 



Northwest Wild Cat. — Lynx fascialus fascialus 

 Rafinesque. Fur very full and soft. Color rich 

 reddish chestnut-brown above ; pale on sides and throat ; 

 belly white spotted with black; terminal third of tail 

 black. Oregon and Washington. 



Gray Wild Cat. — Lynx fascialus fallesccns Mer- 

 riam. Smaller and paler than Northwest Wild Cat. 

 California, Oregon and Washington. 



California Wild Cat.— Z,.v<i.r fascialus oculcus 

 Bangs. Back dusky, lacking ferruginous color. Coast 

 region of California north of San Francisco Bay. 



Plateau Wild Cat.— L.v".r bailcyi Merriam. Like 

 typical Wild Cat, but paler above and with shorter tail. 

 .Arizona. 



Uinta Wild Cat. — Lynx uinta Merriam. .\bove 

 bufify, grizzled with gray and black. No distinct spots 

 above. Utah. Colorado. Wyoming. 



Giant Bobcat. — Lynx gigas Bangs. Largest of 

 the Lyn.xes. Nova Scotia. 



