THE CAT KIND. 75 



The Catamountain, or Tiger Cat, one of the fierceft, and, for its fize, 

 one of the mod deftruftive animals in the world, is a native of South- 

 Annerica, Two of thefe, from which Mr. Buffon has taken his defcrip- 

 tion, were brought over from Carthagena, and having been taken from 

 the dam very young, were fuckled by a bitch. But, before they were 

 three months old, they had (Irength and ingratitude lufficient to kill and 

 devour their nurfe. Their fucceeding fiercenefs and malignity feemed to 

 correfpond with their firft efforts ; no arts could tame or foften them ; 

 they teftified an unceafing difpofition for flaughter : When food was 

 given them, the male always ferved himfelf before the female ventured 

 to touch a bit, and not till after he was latisfied the other began. In 

 their favage ftate, they are highly deftruiftive ; having great ftrength and 

 agility, they eafily overtake their prey, which they purfue among the 

 tops of the trees,, as well as on the ground. They fuck the blood with 

 avidity, and frequently leave the carcafe untouched, to purfue other 

 animals for their blood. They generally continue on trees, like our 

 wild cats, where they often bring forth their young. When an animal 

 pafles beneath them, they dart down upon it with inevitable exadtnefs. 



From this tribe of the cat kind, with fpotted fkins and a long tail, we 

 come to another with fkins diverfified in like manner, but with a Ihoncr 

 tail. The principal of thefe is the LYNX. 



The firft ftriking diftindion of the lynx, from the panther kind, is its 

 tail, which is barely half as long in proportion, and black at the extre- 

 mity. Its fur is much longer, its fpots lefs vivid, and confufedly min- 

 gled; its ears long, tipped at the points with a black tuft of hair; co- 

 lour round the eyes white, the phyfiognomy more placid. Each hair of 

 this animal is of three different colours : the root a greyifh brown, the 

 middle red or alh-coloured, the ends white. This whitenefs makes the 

 body appear as if filvered over ; the hair in the fpots has no white at the 

 ends. This animal equals the ounce in fize, but is ftronger built, and 

 it has but twenty-eight teeth j whereas all of the cat kind already men- 

 tioned have thirty. 



The lynx inhabits chiefly the north of Germany, Lithuania, Mufcovy, 

 Siberia, and North- America. Thofe of the new continent are rather 

 fmaller than thofe of Europe. It exactly refembles the cat, except that, 

 being nearly two feet long, it is bolder and fiercer. Like the cat, it 

 climbs trees, fecks its prey by furprife, is delicate and cleanly, covering 



O 2 its 



