The Ly 



nx 



Indus, to the neighbourhood of Gilgit, where there Is 

 a certain amount of forest, the lynxes begin to assume 

 a more rufous tinge, and thus pass imperceptibly into 

 the typical European form in which the colour may 

 occasionally be rusty red. Seeing that in Scandinavia 

 the lynx is a forest-dwelling animal, it is not a little 

 remarkable that in the Kashmir territories the animal 

 seems never to be found on the forest side of the 

 snowy range in Kashmir itself, but is restricted to the 

 bleak and arid country on the Ladak side of the 

 passes. It is true that the creature has a Kashmiri 

 name, but the same is the case with several animals 

 not found in the vale of Kashmir ; Kashmiris being 

 frequent travellers into the adjacent districts, and often 

 receiving consignments of skins from Ladak and 

 other places. 



Throughout its habitat the Tibetan lynx is a rare 

 animal, seldom seen, and still more rarely shot. Cubs 

 are, however, occasionally taken by the natives of 

 Ladak, Spiti, and Hanle ; and the writer once made 

 the acquaintance of a tame specimen belonging to the 

 Governor of Ladak. Tibetan hares and blue pigeons 

 form the chief prey of the lynx in Ladak, although it 

 also levies toll on the smaller domesticated animals of 

 the Tatars. In capturing pigeons the tame lynx just 

 mentioned displayed an agility comparable to that 

 described in the case of the caracal. 



Lynx-cubs, of which there are generally two or three 

 in a litter, are beautiful little " fluffy " creatures ; and 

 in Ladak are generally born in a crevice among rocks. 



In the province of Kham, South-East Tibet, there is 

 stated to be a distinct race of lynx— F<?//5 lynx camensis. 



The Canadian lynx is another race of the ordinary 

 species, but the Spanish lynx {Felis pardina) and the 

 American red lynx {F. rufa) are distinct. 



343 



