234 EXTINCT AND VANISHING MAMMALS 



red and blue, corresponding to the color phases of deer, though 

 not seasonal as in the latter. 



While in South America there seems as yet little to indicate 

 a widespread reduction in numbers of any of these races, except 

 in the more settled regions, in North America pumas have been 

 exterminated over most of their range in the eastern United 

 States; in the West, where ranching interests are paramount, 

 they are locally gone, and will doubtless ere many years become 

 few and restricted to large areas of forest country or to national 

 parks, where with proper measures their numbers can be kept 

 under control. Nevertheless, in other areas a good many yet 

 remain and probably will continue for a long time to come. 

 The North American races are here considered in order. 



EASTERN MOUNTAIN LION; "CATAMOUNT"; "PANTHER" 

 FELIS CONCOLOR COUGUAR Kerr 



Felis couguar Kerr, Linnaeus's Anim. Kingdom, p. 151, 1792 ("Pennsylvania"). 

 FIG.: Nelson, 1916, p. 413, upper fig. (colored). 



Originally the range of the eastern mountain lion extended 

 from central New England westward to the edge of the Plains 

 and southward through the forested country to Georgia and 

 northern Alabama, where presumably it merged with that of 

 the Florida puma. Over this region it is at the present time 

 probably extinct, with the possibility, however, that a very few 

 may remain in the southern Alleghenies. Its range coincided 

 more or less with that of the Virginia deer, which formed its 

 main object of prey. 



The eastern mountain lion is described as dark reddish 

 brown, darker along the middle of the back, the tail similar, 

 becoming blackish at the tip, and the feet dark also. The 

 muzzle is whitish, with a black marking just back of the white 

 and in advance of the eye ; a small white line in front of the eye ; 

 under side paler, yellowish white. A grayer phase probably 

 occurred as well. Length of body when full grown, about 6 

 feet, tail about 3 feet; weight about 175 pounds for a Vermont 

 specimen. Smaller animals, perhaps females, measure less, 

 about 7 feet over all, with a weight of 118 pounds (Vermont 

 specimen) . 



The catamount, or panther, as these big cats were usually 

 called in New England, was not especially common even in 



