108 ZOOLOGY. 



CONDYLURA? 

 star-nosed Slole. 



In 1852 I saw a very large star-nosed mole, which had been killed at Orleans bar, on 

 Khimath river. — G. 



Dr. Cooper saw at Vancouver, W. T., in 1853, u decayed specimen, which had the appear- 

 ance of having a radiated excrescence on the nose ; but being crushed and nearly destroyed, 

 the specimen was unfit for preservation. 



FELIS CONCOLOR, Linn. 



The American Panther; Cougar; California Lion. 



Ftlis concolor, Linn. Mantissa, 1771, 522; pi. II 



Baibd, Gen. Rep. Mammals, 1857, 83 



[For Sp. Ch. see chap. 2, p 88 ] 



The cougar, or, as it is frequently called, "California Lion," is common in Oregon and 

 Washington Territories. They are quite abundant in the mountains of the Klamath. The 

 Indians there sew two skins together, and wear the robe thus formed as a blanket, the tails 

 trailing behind. Two skins of the young panther were obtained by mc from a man at Steila- 

 coom. They are marked much like the wild cat, but have a longer tail. The living animals 

 were about the size of weaned kittens. — G. 



Note. — I have several times heard of some large animal of the cat kind said to differ from 

 the cougar. One was reported to have been seen in California by some mining acquaintances 

 I made there. It was described as stouter than the cougar, deep chested, with a dark taicny 

 mane! Lately a very intelligent man, Mr. Samuel Woodward, of Shoalwater bay, W. T.j 

 informed me that he had seen in that neighborhood an animal standing higher upon its legs 

 than a cougar, with erect ears and a short tail. The Indians of the Willamette have a story of 

 some terrible animal inhabiting the woods bordering the Columbia on the south, which is not 

 a cougar. It may be that there are imaginary differences, but the subject deserves investiga- 

 tion. Perhaps these animals are straggling specimens of the northern lynx. — G. 



The cougar is quite abundant in the thickly wooded sections of Washington Territory, near 

 the coast, being especially abundant on some of the heavily timbered river valleys, such as 

 that of the Cowlitz, Chehalis, Nisqually, and others. Near Fort Steilacoom a few are killed 

 every year, occasionally quite near the garrison. There have not, as yet, been any instances in 

 that vicinity of human beings having been attacked by them. They are, however, destructive 

 to young calves and other small animals. They are said to utter shrill screams, and at times 

 loud ivhistUng sounds, at night. Perhaps these, when much heard, proceed from the amatory 

 conflicts and spiteful sanguinary courtships which, it is fair to suppose, exist as much among 

 them as with their cousins, our domestic dependants. 



I am indebted to Major James Tilton, United States surveyor general of Washington Terri- 

 tory, for the present of the finest and most complete skin of this species I have ever seen from 

 the northwest coast. It is now in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution. 



Townshend speaks of the indication of a second and nearly allied species on the Columbia. 

 His opinion is based upon a peculiar skull and one foot of an animal he there obtained. 

 Perhaps this may have belonged to the "terrible animal" to which Mr. Gibbs alludes. The 



