DIVISION EIGHT — SCIENCE. 581 



in South America, the puma, carcajou, or quinquajou. It varies but little in 

 appearance in all these localities, when in good condition being a fine-look- 

 ing cat, resembling to some extent the female Asiatic lion, and well de- 

 serving the name, Leoji del Monte, that is given it in Southern California. It 

 is the largest cat in North America proper, a formidable animal when cor- 

 nered, and in many localities a menace to the farmer. Many stories are 

 told of its ferocity in attacking man, but after much investigation I never 

 could learn of but one instance where it had deliberately attacked a human 

 being. A typical mountain lion stands about two feet at the shoulder, often 

 more ; is from five feet to five feet six from the snout to the root of the tail, 

 and weighs one hundred and fifty pounds. Its color is like that of the lion, 

 a reddish hue, light below ; its movements leonine, or cat-like. In compar- 

 ing it to the cat tribe in general, the head is seen to be smaller in proportion 

 to the body than others, except the leopard. The fact that this animal has 

 such a wide geographical range has given rise to the belief that there are 

 several species, but Felis concolor is the one found so extensively over North 

 and South America. In Northern California it attains its greatest perfec- 

 tion, and the Indians believe that it makes a successful fight against the 

 grizzly, and when pressed by hunger is known to be extremely savage. In 

 this southern section of the state it is generally confined to the mountains, 

 and is sometimes met on the trails. One was killed near the sheep corral 

 south of the Raymond last year, Mr. H. N. Rust securing the skin. At 

 least two were killed on the Wilson trail ; and one visited the town of San 

 Gabriel this last winter [i 888-1 889] and was followed several days by the 

 tracks. 



lyYNX. — Others of the cat tribe in this vicinity are at least two var- 

 ieties of the lynx ; one which we know as the wild cat, though properly a 

 lynx {Ly7ix maculatus) , and another larger form occasionally killed by Mr. 

 Bandini. The common lynx caught here in the wild-cat hunts is the 

 former, the "Gato monte " of the Mexicans and Spaniards, the " No-me " 

 of the Yuma Indians, and "Chimbi" of other Indians of this state. A 

 typical specimen in the possession of the writer, obtained through the 

 courtesy of Mr. Arturo Bandini, measures two feet seven inches from the 

 tip of the tail to the nose ; the tail being five inches in length. Bandini, 

 who probably kills more of these animals in the course of the year than any 

 one on the coast, has seen larger ones. The lynx varies so in color in dif- 

 ferent parts of the country that it is difl&cult to determine the species. 

 Mivart includes all our species under one head. Lynx borealis, but any one 

 who has seen our Pasadena lynx or wild cat and a Canada lynx side by side 

 would notice a decided external difference. The lynx that attacked Mr. 

 Bandini some months ago, was in all probability what is recognized by nat- 

 uralists as the Red lynx (^Felix fupa), while our ordinary wild cat is the 

 spotted lynx {Ly?tx niaculatd). The lynx or wild cat is extremely common 

 here, making its home in the greasewood brush and in the canyons. It 

 preys upon small animals of all kinds, and does not hesitate to enter the 

 hen-house, and when cornered will attack man or beast. The lynx encoun- 

 tered by Mr. Bandini sprang at his throat with great ferocity, ripping his 

 clothes with its sharp claws, and ultimately escaping. When followed by 

 hounds here, the cat takes to a tall tree, usually a sycamore, and will, when 

 pushed, leap from fifty to sixty feet down, landing perhaps on its springy 

 cushions, and dashing away from the hounds with remarkable speed, to be 

 treed again, and ultimately die in a desperate encounter with the dogs. The 



