TUB COUGAR AND LYNXES. 135 



The lynxes, which are quite common in the region be- 

 yond the Rocky Mountains, may be readily known from 

 the true cats by their physiognomy and anatomical con- 

 struction. In the first place, they have only twenty-eight 

 teeth, while the others have thirty; their skull is broader 

 in proportion to size ; the forehead is higher, and more 

 arched; the skull is more capacious; the muzzle is broad- 

 er; and the lower jaw is thicker, and more massive. They 

 also have short, thick, and stubby tails ; their feet are 

 heavily furred ; and they move along with short, straight 

 bounds. The three recognized species in the Far West 

 are the Canada lynx {L. canadensis), the bay lynx or red 

 cat {L. rufus), and the L. fasciatus, which closely resem- 

 bles the latter in everything except the color of the pelage. 

 The former, which is the largest and heaviest of its genus, 

 is a timid animal, and readily flees from the presence of 

 man. It has large paws, slender loins, long, thick hind-legs, 

 and a short, thick tail, which gives it an awkward if not 

 clumsy appearance. The head and face are not unlike that 

 of the domestic cat ; the ears are erect, and tipped by an 

 upright, slender tuft of black hairs ; the legs are thick ; 

 and the toes are thick and furry, and armed with very 

 sharp, curved, and awl -shaped claws, which are shorter 

 than the fur. On the body and extremities the fur is 

 hoary, most of the hairs being tipped with white ; but on 

 the middle of the back, on the crown of the head, and on 

 the sides and legs, it is a pale wood-brown ; and the tail is 

 of the same color, except that it is tipped with black. The 

 fur is close and fine on the back, but it is longer and paler 

 beneath than above. The ordinary length of an adult is 

 about thirty-eight inches, the height about seventeen inch- 

 es, the tuft on the ears one and a half inches, and the tail, 

 inclusive, about four and a half inches. Its color changes 

 according to the seasons, so that one may be deceived in 

 its appearance if he goes by hue alone. 



If aroused by anger it spits like a domestic cat, and 

 sets its hair up like a hyena. Its gait is by bounds, and 

 with its back somewhat arched, and, when it alights, it 



