270 EXTINCT AND VANISHING MAMMALS 



much less than formerly. In White Russia 76 animals were taken 

 in 1924-25, but only 16 in 1925-26. In the Western Area 156 were 

 killed in 1928-29, 43 in 1929-30, and 47 in 1930-31. According to 

 Milovanowicz (1925), 50 are taken annually in the Petchora region. 

 In the Vichegda Basin 3 were taken in 1929, 2 in 1930, and 27 

 in 1931. 



In Siberia the Lynx ranges north approximately to the tree limit 

 and south to northern Russian Turkestan (Irtish River and Zaisan 

 Nor) and to the Mongolian and Manchurian boundaries, apparently 

 avoiding the Arctic tundra on the one hand and the steppes of Rus- 

 sian Turkestan on the other. (In far eastern Siberia, beyond the 

 Verkhoyansk Mountains, the typical subspecies seems to be replaced 

 by Lynx lynx wrangeli Ognev.) 



According to W. G. Heptner (in litt., December, 1936) , the Lynx 

 is quite common in Siberia but rarer in Russia. Hunting is allowed 

 the whole year, but in certain parts of Russia and in western Siberia, 

 where the numbers of the animal are small, hunting is limited to 

 certain open seasons. 



The species occurs in the mountains of northern Mongolia, from 

 the Altai Range eastward (Ognev, 1935, p. 214) . A specimen from 

 15 miles northeast of Urga, Mongolia, is recorded by G. M. Allen 

 (1929, p. 14) under the name of L. I. isabellina. The species also 

 occurs in the forests of Manchuria; it is rare in northern Kirin 

 (Sowerby, 1923, p. 37) and in the southern part of the Little Khin- 

 gan Mountains (Ognev, 1935, p. 213). It is generally considered 

 rare in Sakhalin (Kuroda, 1928, p. 226; Miyoshi, in Skottsberg, 

 1934, p. 411). 



Economics. The Lynx attacks game as large as the Red Deer 

 and the Roe Deer, and it has been known to slaughter 30 sheep in a 

 single night. Generally it feeds on the smaller game hares, mar- 

 mots, small rodents, and birds of all kinds. On occasion it does not 

 fear to attack man himself. (Trouessart, 1884, p. 230.) 



In Sweden, "when the lynxes were numerous, they sometimes killed 

 sheep and perhaps also reindeer. They are therefore like all other 

 carnivorous animals especially hated by the Lapps. The lynxes 

 were also destructive to the hares, when they were common. The 

 reason why they were so much hunted was, however, chiefly because 

 it was regarded as a good sport, and the value of the skin was also 

 attractive." The species is now protected in Sweden, and the govern- 

 ment pays for the damages committed, "if they are not due to 

 carelessness of the owners of the domestic animals killed." (Einar 

 Lonnberg, in litt., October, 1936, and January 18, 1933.) 



"The Norwegian peasants believe that if a person wears a neck- 

 lace made of the fore-claws of a lynx it will preserve him from 

 spasms and the cramp. It would appear that the Russians entertain 



