CAT. 



animal has sometimes been confounded ; but the 

 difference in the ears and the tail is sufficiently con- 

 spicuous to prevent any mistake with those who have 

 seen both animals. 



The Booted Lynx, or Mnrsh Lynx, is a smaller 

 animal than the former, and its colours are not so 

 entire. It inhabits the same regions of the world, 

 only it frequents more humid places, and preys upon 

 aquatic birds, indiscriminately with small mammalia. 

 Its size is rather greater than that of the common 

 wild cat, though that animal varies so much that it 

 forms but an indelinite standard. Its tail is shorter 

 than that of the caracal, but not quite so small in 

 proportion. Its colour is yellowish-brown on the 

 upper part, shaded deeper in some places, fading into 

 lighter on the belly, and on the throat nearly white. 

 The limbs and cheeks arc yellowish, and so are the 

 insides of the ears, but there are three black annuli 

 on the tail, and the tips of the ears and hind parts of 

 the paws are also black ; from which last circumstance 

 the name of booted lynx is given to it. 



The CO,HI Li/n.i. Some notion of the general 

 appearance of this animal may be obtained from the 

 following figure, but it is an animal which ranges 

 over a great, extent of longitude and also of latitude, 

 and thus it is subject to great varieties of appearance. 



The Common Lynx. 



The common lynx was in former times very plen- 

 tiful over all Europe and in the northern part of 

 Asia, but its numbers have fallen off greatly, so that 

 it is now entirely unknown in France, and rarely, if 

 at all, in Germany. It is a forest animal, and is met 

 with only in those places which are covered only with 

 thick trees ; and it appears that the cause of its 

 becoming extinct in the more cultivated parts of 

 Europe is the cutting down of the forests. It is stiil 

 abundant in Sweden, in the forests of Russia, on- 

 ward to Siberia, subject to considerable variations 

 in size and in colour. There are considerable varie- 

 ties even in the same country, and in Sweden the 

 names of " cat lynx," " fox lynx," and " wolf lynx," 

 are known to the country people. It does not 

 appear, however, that there is any more reason for 

 regarding these as different species than there is for so 

 regarding the " hog badger " and " dog badger," of 

 which mention is made by the country people of 

 iin ; but the lynx, even in a single individual, 

 -ome claim to all the names bestowed on them 

 lie Swedes. It is a cat certainly ; it has at least 

 1 of the craft of the fox ; and its howling at least 

 ubles that of the wolf. It is said to be very 

 h.n ;-Hved, and subsists by hunting and pursuing its 

 pre r on the tops of the highest trees, feeding on 



ermines, weasels, squirrels, c., which are unable to 

 escape l '<-om it. The lynx watches the approach of 

 the fallow deer, hare, and other beasts of the chace, 

 and darts on them from the branches of trees, where 

 it lies concealed, seizing them by the throat, and 

 sucking their blood ; after which it abandons them, 

 and goes in quest of fresh game. Its sight is remark- 

 ably quick, and it eyes its prey at a great distance. 

 When attacked by a dog, it lies down on its back, 

 strikes desperately with its claws, and frequently 

 compels its assailant to retreat. When urged by 

 hunger, it has been known to prey on its own tribe. 

 The female is gravid nine weeks, and brings from 

 three to four young. As its manner of howling is 

 similar to that of the wolf, and its skin is variegated 

 with spots like those of a young stag, the lynx has 

 been denominated lupus cervariits by some naturalists, 

 and louj) cervier by many of the French writers. In 

 a state of captivity it is extremely ferocious, fre- 

 quently expressing its malignity by a snarling scream, 

 and refusing to be tamed. Its fur is held in con- 

 siderable estimation on account of its softness and 

 warmth, and it is exported in great quantities from 

 America and the north of Europe. In general, the 

 farther north that this article of commerce can be 

 procured, the whiter it is, and the spots are more 

 distinct. The skin of the male, too, is more spotted 

 than that of the female. 



It is unnecessary minutely to describe the colours 

 of an animal which is subject to so much variety from 

 age, season, and climate, as the lynx ; but we may 

 mention in general, that its prevailing colour is 

 reddish brown, marked with small spots of darker 

 brown, its ears long and pencillated, and its tail short, 

 and black at the tip. The fur on the body is very 

 long, especially in the winter months, and in the 

 more northerly localities ; and in these the colour in 

 winter becomes much paler than it does in places 

 farther to the south. 



It is natural to suppose that an animal which is 

 passing away, as the lynx appear to be doing in many 

 parts of the eastern world, should change its charac- 

 ters in the individual along with the decrease of the 

 numbers ; and therefore, though we cannot perhaps 

 give implicit confidence to the stories told by the 

 ancients of the strength and craft of this animal, yet 

 it is highly probable that lynxes were much more 

 formidable, and also much more daring, when they 

 inhabited the rich forests of central Europe, than 

 they can be now that they are confined to the com- 

 paratively barren pastures of the extreme north. 

 It is true that the centre of Europe was colder than 

 than it is now ; but it is also true that, with reference 

 to wild nature, it was more productive. 



We have evidence of a falling off in the character 

 of the individuals, being an accompaniment of decrease 

 in numbers in another animal of this genus the 

 lion himself. Upon turning back to the notice of 

 that animal, it will be found that, in India, and 

 partially also in Persia, where lions have reappeared 

 after they were supposed to have been extinct even 

 for centuries, they evinced very considerable dete- 

 rioration of character, which clearly show that in their 

 case there was a wasting of the race, as well as a 

 lessening of the numbers, during the period of their 

 decline. 



Those which are now met with in India are 

 smaller and lighter made, paler in the colour, and 

 with their mane small and feeble as compared with 



