HISTORY OF VERMONT. 1C5 



way four feet high, and carried it off upon its 

 back. With this load, it ascended a ledge of 

 rocks, where one of the leaps, was fifteen feet 

 in height. Two hunters found the cat upon an 

 high tree. Discharging his musket, one of 

 them wounded it in the leg. It descended with 

 the greatest agility, and fur}^ ; did not attack 

 the men, but seized their dog by one of his 

 ribs, broke it off in the middle, and instantly- 

 leaped up the tree again with astonishing swift- 

 ness, and dexterity. The odier hunter shot 

 him through the head, but his fury did not cease, 

 but wdth the last remains of life. These ani- 

 mals have been often seen in Vermont ; but 

 they never were very numerous, or easily to be 

 taken. Of their fecundity, I have no particular 

 information. On account of their fierceness, 

 activity, and carnivorous disposition, the hun- 

 ters esteem them the most dangerous of any of 

 our animals. The weight of one of them, was 

 estimated by the hunter, at one hundred pounds. 

 The length of his body was about six feet, that 

 of the tail, three ; the circumference of the 

 body was two feet and an half, and the legs 

 were about thirteen inches long. 



What is called the Wild Cat, is an ani- 

 mal, in most respects similar to our common 

 cats ; but different in its disposition, and di- 

 mensions. It is much larger, stronger, and 

 fiercer, than any of our domestic cats ; and 

 seems to be of the same disposition, and colour, 

 as the wolf. One of the largest of them was 

 found by the hunter, to weigh fifty seven pounds. 

 The Black Cat does not appeal* to be dis- 

 tinguished from the former, in any other respect 



