CINNAMON BEAR BLACK BEAR COUGAR, OR PUMA. 217 



him without dogs, though in the berry season, many years 

 ago, I bagged without a dog no less than five in one day, 

 catching them in little patches of plum or hackberry 

 bushes, dashing up on horseback and shooting them with 

 a revolver as they ran. This, however, was in the valleys 

 of the Guadalupe Mountains of Texas, where they were 

 in greater plenty than I have ever seen elsewhere. 



When hunted with dogs they give excellent sport, 

 running fairly for some time, with much more speed than 

 one would give them credit for, and then taking to a tree. 

 Unless the country is exceedingly unfavourable, one is 

 rarely started that is not brought to bay. The general 

 habits and characteristics of all the bear family are nearly 

 the same. 



COUGAR, OR PUMA. 



This animal, called variously the ' Mexican lion,' 'Cali- 

 fornian lion,' and ' mountain lion,' is an habitual resident 

 of many rough and broken parts of the plains. He 

 is shy, spending his days in thick cover, and prowling 

 like a huge cat at night. His senses are very acute, 

 and it is exceedingly rare that one is seen ; and the hunter 

 might easily be forgiven for disbelieving the existence of 

 such an animal, were it not that the prints of his foot- 

 steps in the vicinity of camp show plainly when and 

 where he has been prowling. 



Except by the rarest accident the hunter cannot hope 

 to bag him except by the aid of dogs. Although, when 

 pressed by hunger in the winter, he will seize, carry off, 

 and eat the most powerful mastiff, yet at other times he 

 will fly from the baying of the tiniest cur. When pur- 

 sued by a pack, he runs well for a little distance, but 

 soon tires, and will then take to a tree, selecting one that 

 leans well to one side, for he is not a good climber. Out 

 of reach of the dogs he stands upright on a horizontal 

 branch, and calmly surveys his vociferous and baffled pur- 



