330 



Deane, Letters of J. J. Audubon and S. F. Baird. 



TAuk 

 LJuly 



deer coming to him behaving in a very singular manner. To seize 

 his rifle and kill the deer was but the work of a moment, when walk- 

 ing up to the animal he was surprised to see an immense wild cat 

 clinging to its neck with his teeth buried in the flesh. The cat on 

 seeing the man let go his hold and walked round the deer loth 

 apparently to leave it, and, remained long enough to allow the 

 hunter to load his rifle and stretch him dead also. They are hunted 

 on horse back with a large pack of hounds at Pinegrove. They 

 will tree after running a few miles when it is generally easy enough 

 to get them. Although many stories are related of their ferocity, 

 they are a cowardly animal. Some one of the hunters climbs the 

 tree and with a stick forces the animal to leap from the limb on 

 which it may be recumbent, when its career is soon ended by the 

 hounds, which stand open mouthed under the tree. They have 

 been known to jump from a height of forty and fifty feet uninjured. 

 When they do not tree they make for their holes in the rocks, which 

 should they reach, they are safe. The one obtained this winter 

 was caught within ten feet of its hole. It had its claws nearly worn 

 to stumps from having lived among the stones. Some years ago 

 a large cat was killed and thrown into the crotch of a pretty tall tree. 

 Some weeks after, another cat was trailed to, and killed from the 

 same tree, on looking at the first cat, it was found nearly eaten up, 

 evidently by the second individual, as none but an animal of that 

 species could have reached it. The following are the Measure- 

 ments of those obtained a year ago and last winter. No. 1 is the 

 male one shot Nov. 30. 1840. No. 2 brought from Pinegrove Jan. 

 1842. Measurements in inches. 



No. 1 was very fat, a coat of it every part of the skin, weight 12^ 

 lbs. No. 2 was very thin exceeding by weight 16^. So much for 

 the measurements. If you wish the descriptions, from the fresh 



