62 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE 



gave rise to the name of " Catamount," a considerable eminence 

 to the east of the village. Some confusion has long prevailed 

 and still exists concerning the panther, his true habitat being 

 Asia and Africa, while his cousin in our continent is limited to 

 South America, the Mexican Cordilleras and the Rocky Moun- 

 tains, and is otherwise known as the puma or cougar. Its pres- 

 ent range is probably from Texas to Patagonia, but there is no 

 doubt that it was formerly wider and more northerly. In North 

 America it has been in the east generally known as the cata- 

 mount, and in the west as the painter. 



Wild Cat or Bay Lynx, Fe/is catus. This variety is also dan- 

 gerous and will sometimes attack man. It is known in the ver- 

 nacular as the " bob-tail," and is a very ugly customer at close 

 quarters. Before Manchester became a city, the highway lead- 

 ing to Goffe's falls ran through thick woods for nearly the whole 

 distance. A man was hauling a load of wood into town, accom- 

 panied by a small dog, and after reaching a point near the Val- 

 ley cemetery, a wild-cat came out of the woods and attacked the 

 dos:. The driver took a round four-foot stick of wood from his 

 load and killed the cat, bringing the carcass into town, where it 

 ■was for some time on exhibition in a window of the old town 

 house, and the writer well remembers seeing it. They were in 

 the early days quite common, but are now seldom seen, though 

 occasionally encountered to this day. Only last September the 

 writer with his nephew heard the wailing, long-drawn and lone- 

 some cry of a lynx, probably calling for its mate. This was in 

 the thick woods of Tamworth, sixty miles away, but in a short 

 half-day journey these wild-cats might make a honeymoon trip 

 to Derryfield Park. 



Canada Lynx or Loupcervier, Felis Canadensis. This is an 

 extremely shy little animal, not prone to attack man or beast un- 

 less driven to a corner. It is also popularly known as a wild-cat, 

 and was once common here. 



Wolf, Canis occidentalis. None have been seen here outside 

 of a menagerie for a hundred years ; before that time they had 



