NORTH AMERICA AND THE WEST INDIES 247 



ROCKY MOUNTAIN PANTHER OR COUGAR 

 FELIS CONCOLOR HIPPOLESTES Merriam 



Felis hippolestes Merriam, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. 11, p. 219, July 15, 1897 

 ("Wind River Mountains, Wyoming"). 



OREGON COUGAR 

 FELIS CONCOLOR OREGONENSIS Rafinesque 



Felix (sic) oregonensis Rafinesque, Atlantic Journ., vol. 1, p. 62, 1832 (Northwest coast 



of United States). 

 SYNONYM: Felis hippolestes olympus Merriam, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. 11, p. 



220, July 15, 1897 (Lake Cushman, Mason County, Washington). 

 FIGS.: Elliot, 1904, pt. 2, pis. 44, 45 (skull). 



CALIFORNIA COUGAR 

 FELIS CONCOLOR CALIFORNICA May 



Felis calif ornica May, California Game "marked down," p. 22, 1896 (Upper Kern 



River, Kern County, California). 

 FIGS.: Grinnell, Dixon, and Linsdale, 1937, pi. 11, col. (showing red and gray phases), 



figs. 215-239 (skull, photographs of old, young, habitat, etc.). 



VANCOUVER COUGAR 

 FELIS CONCOLOR VANCOUVERENSIS Nelson and Goldman 



Felis concolor Vancouver -crisis Nelson and Goldman, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. 

 45, p. 105, July 15, 1932 (Campbell Lake, Vancouver Island, British Columbia). 



The present status of these races may be considered briefly 

 together, for although none of them seems now in actual danger 

 of extermination, nevertheless in the years to come, with the 

 constant encroachment of human occupation, with hunting for 

 sport or for bounties, and with forest fires and other causes, 

 it is likely that their ranks will eventually dwindle, and that 

 they can survive in any numbers only in large reserves or in 

 country that remains in a more or less primeval condition, 

 with shelter of forests and food in the shape of larger game, 

 meaning chiefly deer. The fallacy of completely killing out 

 these larger predators in deer reserves has been several times 

 demonstrated. In the case of the Kaibab Forest, from which 

 panthers and wolves were eliminated by purposeful hunting 

 and trapping, and from which deer hunters were excluded, the 

 mule deer in the course of a few years became so abundant 

 that not only did the animals destroy all the available food but 



