244 EXTINCT AND VANISHING MAMMALS 



report for 1917, J. S. Ligon had killed during the year 84 and 

 estimates that there were still about 400 left alive in New 

 Mexico. "At the present time they are probably most com- 

 mon in the Mogollon Mountain region, and in the Animas, 

 San Luis, and Sacramento Mountain Ranges, with a few 

 scattered through some of the small desert ranges over the 

 southern and western parts of the State." The continual 

 hunting down of these animals by ranchers and by government- 

 paid hunters can not fail within a few years more to reduce 

 their numbers to very small proportions. Bailey (1931) quotes 

 the following figures for panthers killed by hunters in govern- 

 ment employ in New Mexico: In 1917, 17; in 1918, 14; in 1919, 

 41; in 1920, 63; and in 1921, 29, a total of 164 in five years. 

 With such a determined campaign waged against them, it 

 seems likely that the species will soon be largely wiped out over 

 much of the State. When one locality is rid of them, they may 

 come in from surrounding territory, for they are great travelers. 

 Bailey mentions a case where a hunter followed a track for two 

 days and estimated that the animal had covered 30 miles 

 without making a kill or stopping for any length of time. 

 They may have as many as six young at a litter but usually 

 four or even two; the gestation period was 96 days in the case 

 of a captive individual (J. A. Allen, 1896). Hence animals 

 killed in early or mid winter have probably not yet bred, but 

 with females shot late in winter the potential increase is like- 

 wise destroyed. 



YUMA MOUNTAIN LION; COLORADO DESERT PUMA 

 FELIS CONCOLOR BROWNI Merriam 



Felis aztecus browni Merriam, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. 16, p. 73, May 29, 

 1903 ("Lower Colorado River 12 miles south of Yuma, Arizona"). 



Very little is known concerning this puma. Grinnell, Dixon, 

 and Linsdale (1937) describe it as "closely similar to the Cali- 

 fornia Mountain Lion but with shorter pelage, paler tone of 

 coloration, and smaller skull and teeth." Merriam (loc. cit.) 

 in describing the original specimen emphasized similar charac- 

 ters in comparison with the more eastern race, azteca, calling 

 attention further to the smaller and lower audital bullae, small 

 canines and carnassials. Merriam suggested that the slender 

 canines indicated that the animal fed upon smaller game than 



