MAMMALS OF MINNESOTA. ta 
Lynx rufus (GM.) Rar. 
WILD CAT. 
Felis rufa GMELIN, SCHREBER, DESMAREST, F. CUVIER. 
BLAINVILLE,. GULDENSTEIN, TEMMINCK. 
LESSING. GEOFFROY ST. HILLAIRE, FISCHER. 
GERVAIS. BLYTH. 
Lyn floridiana RAFINESQUE. Am. Month. Mag., 1817. 
Tyncus rufus GRAY. P. Z.S., 1867. 
DEKAyY. Nat. Hist. N. Y., 1842. 
Felix montana DESMAREST, LESSING, HARLAN. 
LEContTE. P. A. N,S., Phila., 1856. 
Felis maculata Vic. AND HorsF. Zool. Journ., 1829. 
LEssING. Comp. Buff., 1839, etc. 
Lyne rufus RAFINESQUE. Am Month. Mag., 1817. 
AUD. AND BACH. Quad., N. A. 
Marcy. Expl. Red R., 1852. 
NEWBERRY. Pacif. R. R., Rep. VI, 1857. 
BArRD. Mam., N. A. 
ALLEN. Bull. M. C. Z., 1871. 
CouES AND YARROW. Surv. 100th Mer., 1875. 
MERRIAM. Mam. Adiron,, 1874. 
Out of over a dozen specimens of wild cat examined, none 
presented the characters attributed to LZ. canadensis. It would 
not therefore be competent for me to discuss the validity of the 
two species or their relations, but it may be confidently stat- 
ed that if there are two species in Minnesota, our sportsmen 
are much at fault. I was repeatedly shown specimens of 
‘Liynx” which uniformly proved to be L. rufus, but all hunters 
claim that two species exist, though distinctive characters 
apart from difference in size could never be found. 
It is preferable, however, to proceed with the description of 
the one known variable species. 
The earliest account of the wild cat from Minnesota, seems 
to be this from Carver’s travels, p. 416. ‘‘The cat of the mount- 
ains. This creature is in shape like a cat, only much larger. 
The hair or fur resembles also the skin of that domestic ani- 
mal; the color, however, differs, for the former is of a reddish 
or orange cast, but grows lighter near the belly. The whole 
skin is beautified with black spots of different figures, of which 
those on the back are long, and those on the lower parts 
round. On the ears are black stripes. The creature is nearly 
as fierce as a leopard, but will seldom attack man.’’ 
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