Rocky Mountain Puma 403 



THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN PUMA 



[Felis conco/or hippokstes) 



The distinctive features of this race, says its describer. Dr. C. H. 

 Merriam,' are its relatively enormous size, reddish brown colour, and large 

 and massive skull and teeth. In the skull the frontal region is elevated 

 and swollen, the processes defining the hinder border of the sockets of the 

 eyes are much curved downwards and inflated, and the tubercle on the 

 inner side of the upper carnassial tooth is well developed. The nasal 

 bones likewise differ somewhat in form from those of the typical race. 



The general colour of the fur of the upper-parts is dull pale rufous 

 brown, darker along the middle line of the back and on the tail than 

 elsewhere, the tip of the tail being black. From the nose to the eyes the 

 hue is greyish brown ; there is a pale patch above each eye ; the outer 

 sides of the limbs are pale dull greyish fulvous ; the chin, lips, throat, 

 chest, the inner sides of the fore-legs, and the abdomen are dirty white ; 

 the lower surface ot the tail being greyish white. Such, at least, is the 

 description of the type specimen (an adult male), from the Wind River 

 Mountains, Wyoming, given by Dr. Merriam in the paper cited above. 

 The basal length of the skull is 7J- inches, as contrasted with (:>\ inches 

 in a specimen of the typical race. 



The complete geographical range of this form ot the puma has yet 

 to be worked out ; and it would appear that the variety (or varieties) 

 inhabiting the Eastern United States has not yet received a distinct 

 racial name. 



1 Proceedings Biological Society of Washington, vol. xi. p. 2 19 (1897), where it is regarded as a 

 distinct species. 



