78 Game of Europe, W. & N, Asia & America 



All lynxes are specially characterised by the possession of a tuft or 

 pencil of long, stiff" black, hairs surmounting each ear, as well as by 

 certain details in the form of the skull and teeth. The true lynxes (that 

 is to say, the species other than the aberrant caracal) are further character- 

 ised by the extreme shortness of the tail, the relative length of the limbs, 

 and the abundant ruff" of long hair fringing the throat and communicating 

 to them one ot the most distinctive features of their appearance. The 

 pads of the foot of a lynx are always more or less coated with hair ; and 

 the coat shows solid black spots at least during some portion of the year, 

 although the number and intensity varies considerably in the different 

 species and races. 



It is to Mr. Outran! Bangs-' that naturalists are indebted for precise 

 information as to the structural details by which the common lynx is 

 speciallv distinguished from the red lynx. In the former the teet are 

 relatively large, with the pads on their surface proportionately small ; the 

 tail is extremely short ; the fur is long and loose ; and the pencil ot hair 

 surmounting the ear is much elongated, this being noticeable even in the 

 very young kitten. Very important are certain details with regard to the 

 form and structure of the skull. This is relatively wide, with a broad 

 muzzle. It has a distinctive conformation of the bones in the neighbour- 

 hood of the hinder extremity of the bony palate ; while the inflated bullfE 

 on its under-surface, which are connected with the organ ot hearing, are 

 very small and flat. Another important feature of the skull is that the 

 upper jaw-bone, or maxilla, of each side is almost or completely separated 

 trom the nasal bones by the meeting (or close approximation) of the frontal 

 bone with the premaxilla, or anterior bone of the upper jaw. The tusks, 

 or canines, are relatively slender, and the lower molar tooth is ot propor- 

 tionately large size. 



To enter into a lengthened and detailed description of such a com- 



' Proceedings of Biological Society of H'aslington, vol. xi. p. 4.S (1S97). 



