Red Lynx 409 



man mentioned, that he refers the common lynx to one subgenus, under 

 the name of Ly/ix, while he separates the red lynx as a distinct subgeneric 

 group with the title of Ccrvarln. Mr. Bangs ^ also considers that the red 

 lynxes of eastern North America are specifically distinct from those of the 

 western side of the continent, regarding the former as the true Lynx rufa 

 (or L. ritjfus, as, perpetuating an original typographical error, he prefers to 

 spell it), while the latter are assigned to Lynx fasciattis of Rafinesque. He 

 also separates the Florida and the Texas red lynxes as a third species of 

 Cervarid, and the Nova Scotian representative of this type as a fourth. 

 The differences relied upon seem to be chietiy connected with the skull 

 and bodily form. But the possibility of intergradation between these three 

 groups is suggested ; and even if this prove not to be the case, they are 

 evidently so closely allied that, in the opinion of the present writer, they 

 seem best regarded as local races, or phases, of a single widely spread and 

 variable specific type. This is indeed the view of Mr. F. W. True,'- who 

 writes as follows : — " The spotted form of the bay lynx, found in Texas, and 

 the banded form, found in Oregon and Washington, have been described as 

 separate species, under the mmes Lynx nnjcn/af us and Lynx fasciatiis. They 

 are now generally regarded as geographical races of the bay lynx." 



According to Mr. Bangs, the red lynx, in addition to the peculiarities 

 of the palatal aspect of the skull already referred to, diff^ers from the 

 common lynx by the smaller relative size of the feet (which is most 

 marked in the Florida race), the larger area of the bare pads on the soles 

 of the feet, the somewhat longer tail, and the shorter pencils of hair sur- 

 mounting the tips of the ears. The fur, too, is shorter and closer. In the 

 skull the upper jaw-bone, or maxilla, forms a junction of considerable 

 length with the nasal on each side, instead of being nearly or completely 

 cut off^ from the latter ; the auditory bulla on the lower surface of the 



' Proceedings New England Zool. Club, vol. i. p. 23 (1899). 

 - Report of U.S. National Museum, 1889, p. 591. 



3 G 



