140 CARNTVORA FISSIPEDIA. 



liar appearance. The Lynx is hunted for its skin 

 which is very valuable. The hunters either follow its 

 track through the snow, or hunt it with dogs trained to 

 follow the trail by scent till the animal is treed and shot. 



LYNX. 



The name Lucerne formerly given to the Lynx was prob- 

 ably a contraction of Loup-Cervier, a term applied to it by 

 the early French writers "who ascribed to it a habit of 

 dropping from trees onto the backs of the deers, and des- 

 troying them by tearing their throats and drinking their 

 blood." 



The Bay Lynx (Felis-rufa), also known as the American 

 Wild Cat or Cat Common, is placed in a separate species 

 because of its inferior size, uniform reddish color, bushy 

 tail and shorter fur. It shows considerable vari- 

 ation in color and pelage in different localities of its hab- 

 itat. A handsome spotted variety is found in Texas and 

 southern California, and another with dark vertical 

 streaks in "Washington and Oregon; these were formerly 

 regarded as distinct species and classed respectively as 

 Felis-maculata and Felis-faciata. The type species of 

 American Wild Cat is rarely seen as far north as the Adi- 

 rondacks, being more common in milder climates, where 

 Dr. Merriam says: "They frequent rocky hills and ledges 

 and do not show that antipathy to civilization so 'marked 

 in their cogener the True Lynx. In fact, the Bay Lynx is 

 often quite common in thickly-settled portions of the 

 country, and sometimes proves of much annoyance to the 



