THE OTHER GREAT STAPLE FURS 137 



The Cat Furs 



At the top of cat furs stands the Canadian Lynx as to quality 

 and price, the Cougar as to size and cheapness and inferior quality 

 of the fur, with Bay Lynx, Bob Cat, Wild Cat and Domestic Cat 

 as variations between in prices and quality of furs. 



Canadian Lynx is easily the king of the cat furs. 



He is an eater of rabbits, of gophers, of marmots, of fish, of 

 flesh, of red herring. Everything edible is a filler for his hungry 

 maw ; but in a season when rabbits are scarce, Lynx skin is poor, 

 which seems to prove that the hare and rabbit are his staple foods. 



The best fur is a sort of pepper and salt gray or fawn cream 

 18 inches deep in hair and pelage. The pencilled ears and the huge 

 padded fur feet are the marks of this denizen of the snowy wastes. 

 In natural histories you will see the Lynx ranging ground given from 

 Alaska to the Rio Grande. In the fur world, best Lynx are classi- 

 fied not farther South than Minnesota ; and the best pelts come 

 from Quebec, Ontario and the North to latitude 60. The Canadian 

 Lynx full-grown measures closer to 4 feet than 3, and the weight 

 runs over 20 pounds. He is a tree climber, but his scream and his 

 big eyes in deeply furred head are much more terrifying than his 

 prowess. 



The lesser cat furs are from the Southern areas and are va- 

 riously known as Bay Lynx, "Bob Cat" and Wild Cat. These all 

 lack the pencilled fur of the ears and the huge fur-padded feet. 

 They are smaller and their fur more spotted — so spotted in some 

 smaller varieties that they are confused with the "civet" skunk 

 and "civet" coon, to which they have no likeness or relationship 

 whatever but in the smallness of size. 



The belly fur of all the Lynx is used for boas and trimmings, 

 because it is usually worn by climbing. Hudson Bay used to pro- 

 duce 40,000 Canadian Lynx a year ; but this catch is falling off 

 owing, perhaps, to depredations on the hare. The best fur is marked 

 by silver and black tips to the long over hair. I am sorry to say it 

 can be dyed to imitate finer fur ; and this seems a pity ; for Lynx 



