XXIV 



THE LYNX 



T N North America there are two wild-cats, which 

 -*■ are commonly called bob-cats on account of their 

 short tails. These are the lynxes of the naturalists — the 

 Canada lynx (Z. canadensis), and the red lynx (Z. rufa). 

 The naturalists have, in fact, several lynxes besides the 

 two named — the spotted lynx {L. inaculata), and others, 

 including a new one from the Uintah Mountains, which 

 I, no doubt, heard sing twenty years ago in a chorus 

 with some wolves and owls. From the sportsman's 

 point of view they are all plain, every-day wild-cats, 

 too small to come within the Boone and Crockett list 

 of big game. 



The Canada lynx is said to be much like the Euro- 

 pean lynx, but somewhat smaller. Its length is about 

 37 inches, from the nose to the tip of the tail ; the Eu- 

 ropean lynx will measure 40 inches without the tail. 

 The red lynx is found throughout the United States in 

 suitable localities. The reddish hair suggested the 

 name of this animal. The handsomely spotted skin of 

 the third variety, of course, suggested the name, maai- 

 lata. Mivart is of the opinion that the Old World lynx 

 and the North American varieties, Canada, red, and 

 spotted, " should be ranged under one species {Fclis 

 borealis), since, after a careful examination of the rich 



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