HUNTING THE COUGAR. 235 



secure the prize before the owner of. the trap arrives. 

 One morning, I had the pleasure of securing in one of 

 my pens, a fine black wolf, which, on seeing me, squat- 

 ted, supposing me to be passing in another direction. 



HUNTING THE COUGAR* 



THERE is an extensive Swamp in the section of the 

 State of Mississippi which lies partly in the Choctaw 

 territory. It commences at the borders of the Missis- 

 sippi, at no great distance from a Chickasaw village, 

 situated near the mouth of a creek known by the name 

 of Vanconnah, and partly inundated by the swellings of 

 several large bayous, the principal of which, crossing 

 the swamp in its whole extent, discharges its waters not 

 far from the mouth of the Yazoo river. This famous 

 bayou is called False river. The swamp of which I am 

 speaking, follows the windings of the Yazoo, until the 

 latter branches off to the northeast, and at this point 

 forms the stream named Gold Water river, below which 

 the Yazoo receives the draining of another bayou in- 

 clining towards the northwest, and intersecting that 

 known by the name of False river, at a short distance 

 from the place where the latter receives the waters of 

 the Mississippi. This tedious account of the situation 

 of the Swamp, is given with the view of pointing it out 

 to all students of nature who may chance to go that way, 



* Audubon's Ornithological Biography. 



