3IO THE CAT FAMILY 



through the heart. Twice the animal died in the 

 branches. In the other four cases it sprang out of the 

 tree, head and tail erect, eyes blazing, and the mouth 

 open in a grin of savage hate and anger ; but it was 

 practically dead when it touched the ground." 



The cougar lives largely upon deer and destroys 

 many of these animals. Although the fact is not men- 

 tioned in cougar biographies, I have no doubt the beast 

 catches and devours many grouse. Roosevelt says : " It 

 is also the dreaded enemy of sheep, pigs, calves, and es- 

 pecially colts, and when pressed by hunger a big male 

 cougar will kill a full-grown horse or cow, moose or 

 wapiti. It is the special enemy of mountain sheep. In 

 1886, while hunting white goats north of Clark's fork 

 of the Columbia, in a region where cougar were com- 

 mon, I found them preying as freely on the goats as 

 on the deer. It rarely catches antelopes, but is quick 

 to seize rabbits and other small beasts, and even porcu- 

 pines." ^ 



The cougar, when pressed by the dogs, usually takes 

 to a tree, but often gives them a long chase first. He 

 sometimes escapes into a hole, and the dogs there fight 

 him at a great disadvantage. It is well to have some 

 good strong fighting dogs to do the killing after the 

 hounds have trailed and treed the orame. 



From Colorado to Oregon and Washington is prob- 

 ably the best cougar ground. They seem to attain a 

 good size in Washington, and are probably as abun- 

 dant in certain parts of that State as anywhere. 



Mr. G. A. Welder has written a clever account of how 

 the cougar springs from a tree on a passing deer: "As 



* With the Cougar Hounds, Scribner's Magazine. 



J 



