310 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1923 



jaguars come from northern South America and the largest form 

 inhabits Paraguay and southern Brazil. The great difference in 

 size between specimens from these two regions is remarkable. Skulls 

 of adult male specimens of the Paraguay jaguar exceed in measure- 

 ments the skull of the largest Korean tigress recorded. 



The snow leopard (Felis uncia) is one of the most beautiful of 

 the larger cats. It inhabits the mountains of central Asia. The 

 specimen on exhibition in the park lives without artificial heat the 

 year around and enjoys the colder winter weather. 



The puma, known in the Western States as the mountain lion 

 and in the south as the panther, has an extensive distribution from 

 British Columbia to Patagonia. It was formerly common in the 

 Eastern States, but is now exterminated over much of its original 

 range. In parts of Florida and especially in the canebrake regions 

 of Louisiana, panthers are still found. In the Bear Lake cane of 

 northeastern Louisiana the animal was almost common a few years 

 ago and doubtless is frequently found to this day. The mountain 

 lion of the Rockies (Fells hippolestes) and the paler colored form 

 from Arizona (Felis azteca) are both exhibited in the park. In 

 parts of the West and Southwest the mountain lion is still found 

 in numbers, and in particular localities is so destructive to colts that 

 it is almost impossible to raise horses on the open range. There are 

 several authentic instances of the mountain lion's attacking man 

 without the slightest provocation ; but considering the wide distribu- 

 tion of the animal and its comparative abundance, these must be 

 considered exceptional traits of habit. 



The ocelot (Felis pardalis) is a smaller spotted and blotched 

 American cat, common in the Tropics and regularly found in south- 

 eastern Texas. It is a handsome species which varies greatly in color 

 and markings. The Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) is a larger, 

 tufted-eared relative of the common bobcat, or wildcat, of the 

 United States. It is found over much of the wooded parts of 

 British America and Alaska and into the Northern States and 

 Rocky Mountain region of the West. It is much sought by the 

 trapper and during the periodical abundance of the northern hare 

 becomes very plentiful, so that large numbers are captured. 



The bay lynx, or bobcat (Lynx I'ufris), is the wildcat com- 

 monly found in unsettled portions of the United States. Like other 

 species of wide distribution it is divisible into numerous geographical 

 forms. One of the handsomest of these is a richly colored race from 

 the humid coast region of the Northwestern States. 



The clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is another of the more 

 handsome cats. It is smaller than the snow leopard, but is quite as 

 beautifully marked. It lacks the fine form of the head and face of 

 the snow leopard, however, and belongs in a separate genus. The 



