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U. S. P. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS ZOOLOGY GENERAL REPORT. 



In many of our animals of wide distribution, there appear to be several races, as far as dimen 

 sions are concerned, in particular species ; skulls of the same relative age being different in 

 size. This is particularly the case in the cats, racoons, bears, and deer, and, as a general rule, 

 the further south we go, the smaller the species. This condition of things adds not a little to 

 the confusion which prevails. The skulls vary much too with age, and probably also with sex, 

 although the specimens before me not having the sex indicated do not afford the clue to the 

 peculiarities of male or female. 



There appear to be at least three species of smaller American lynxes in North America the 

 common Bay Lynx, which reaches from the Atlantic to the Pacific, throughout nearly the whole 

 latitude of the United States, but is replaced in Texas and southern California by the Lynx 

 macvlatus, and in northern Oregon and Washington Territory by the L.fasciatus. The precise 

 limits of these last mentioned species, other than as indicated, has not yet been ascertained. 



The examination of a large number of well prepared specimens of different ages, sexes, 

 seasons and localities, will, however, be necessary fully to unravel the perplexities which now 

 encompass the whole subject. 



Measurements. 



List of specimens. 



