204 Deane, Letters of J. J. Audubon and S. F. Baird. [April 



I have been using every exertion to obtain quadrupeds, but with 

 little success as yet. I however have recently secured several valu- 

 able auxiliaries from whom I expect a great deal. One of them 

 told me that he had caught last winter a rabbit quite Brownish red. 



Professor Allen 1 of our College here told me an anecdote respect- 

 ing a weasel, which anecdote he had from a highly creditable source. 

 It happened in Maine. "A weasel was introduced into a cellar 

 for the purpose of destroying rats, which he succeeded in doing, 

 with the exception of two or three very large ones. He finally 

 succeeded in killing these in the following ingenious manner. He 

 dug a hole in the ground wide at the entrance, and narrowing 

 gradually from the entrance until it was just wide enough to allow 

 the weasel to pop when it opened again in the air. He was then 

 seen to run into this hole pursued by a large rat, to run out of the 

 narrow end, and immediately to run into the other end again, and 

 attack the rat from behind, and kill it. In this way he succeeded 

 in exterminating the whole." He assured me the story was worthy 

 of all credit. 



A week or two ago I shot a Bay Lynx or Wild Cat a mile & a 

 quarter from Carlisle. It was 2 1/2 feet long & weighed 12 1/2 

 pounds. The general color of the Pelage is of a light yellowish 

 brown, mixed with greyish white. The former most conspicuous 

 about the head & rump. Belly white spotted with black. Fore 

 legs transversely banded with several black stripes inside. Fore 

 legs barred with greyish white on a Brownish red ground outside. 

 Tail yellowish brown above, white beneath a patch of black at the 

 end above. Ears black at base then a triangular space of white, 

 then margined black again. I have a much fuller description & 

 table of measurements in my note book. 



Please to let me know when you commence publishing your 

 "Biography of Quadrupeds" etc., and on what plan it is. Expense 

 etc. I remain. 



Your Obedient Servant 



Spencer F. Baird. 

 John J. Audubon. F. R. S. 

 New York 



No. 86 White St. 



1 William Henry Allen, M. D.. L. L. D., born March 27, 1808, died August 29, 1882. 

 Professor at Dickinson College, Carlisle, Penn., from 1836 to 1849. 



