Lynxes.] 



MUSEUM OF ANIMATED NATURE. 



II 



tail, and the proportionate elevation of the body at 

 the haunches. 



The lynx is one of those animals respecting which 

 many absurd fables have been popularly current, but 

 which are now in no danger of being revived. Pliny 

 (lib. vii., 25) classes the lynx among the monstrous 

 productions of .(iithiopia, in the existence of which 

 ne seems to have implicitly believed. The lynx is 

 often alluded to by the ancient poets, but from 

 many expressions we easily perceive that they had 

 no very precise ideas about the animal ; the lynx 

 of poetry was sometimes a leopard or panther. 

 Virgil calls the lynxes of Bacchus varite, and in 

 another place alludes to the skin of the spotted lynx 

 (maculosce lyncis). 



The representations of lynxes on antique gems 

 and sculptures are as unsatisfactory and vague as 

 the allusions in classic poetry. Still however the 

 lynx described by Aristotle, vKlian, and Oppian was, 

 it must be confessed, not one of these doubtful 

 creatures, but a definite species, and, as we think, 

 the caracal. 



53, 58, 59.— The Caracal 



(Felts Caracal). This animal derives its modern 

 name from the Turkish, cara, black, and kulask, ear. 

 Its Persian name has the same meaning, sujah-gush 

 or sia-gusch (si'a, black, ^««cA, ear). It is widely dis- 

 tributed, being found in Persia, India, Barbary, 

 Nubia, Egypt, and the whole of Africa to Caifraria, 

 Turkey, and Arabia. The general colour of the 

 body IS of a pale reddish-brown, with a vinous 

 tinge ; the lower parts are paler. Two spots of pure 

 white are near each eye, one on the inner side of 

 and above the eye, the other beneath its outer angle. 

 The edges of the upper lip, the chin, and lower lip 

 are white, as are the insides of the limbs. The 

 whiskers rise from a series of black lines. The ears 

 are long and tapering, and are surmounted by a 

 pencil of long black hairs ; their colour externally 

 IS black. The tail reaches only to the heel or hock- 

 joint. Temminck gives the measurements as fol- 

 lows : — length two feet ten inches, of which the tail 

 measures ten. Average height about fourteen inches. 

 We have ourselves seen much larger individuals. The 

 eyes of the caracal have a marked nocturnal cha- 

 racter, and are large, bright, and scowling in their 

 expression. The limbs are extremely muscular, 

 and its whole contour denotes great activity. The 

 caracal feeds on small quadrupeds and birds, the 

 latter of which it pursues even to the tops of the 

 trees. It is said to follow the lion and other large 

 beasts of prey for the purpose of feeding on what 

 they leave. The caracal leaps upon its viclim and 

 holds it with remarkable tenacity, as was noticed by 

 ./Elian. Oppian also alludes to its mode of springing 

 upon hares, deer, &c. According to Temminck, 

 these animals are in the habit of hunting in packs, 

 like wild dogs, and of running down their prey ; 

 most probably they creep towards it like the cheetah, 

 and spring suddenly upon it. Pennant, quoting 

 Thevenot, states that they are often brought up 

 tame, and used in the chase of lesser quadrupeds 

 and the larger sort of birds, as cranes, pelicans, 

 peacocks, &c., and that when they seize their prey 

 they hold it fast with their mouth and lie motion- 

 less on it. He also adds, on the authority of Hyde, 

 that the Arabians, who call it Anak-el-ard, affirm 

 that it hunts like the panther, jumps up at cranes 

 as they fly, and covers its steps when hunting. 



In captivity the caracal is ver)' irritable, often 

 displaying great ferocity. Of its fierceness and 

 strengh Dr. Charleton gives evidence, for he relates 

 that he saw one fall on a hound, which it killed and 

 tore to pieces in a moment, although the dog de- 

 fended itself to the utmost. It would appear, from 

 our repeated personal observations, that lew animals 

 of the feline race are more impatient of confinement. 

 Excepting in the instance of very young examples, 

 we never knew one that would suffer the approach 

 of strangers without exhibiting tokens of savage 

 anger. Apparently annoyed by the light, they re- 

 tire to a corner of their den, and there crouch in 

 sullen and suspicious mood, repelling every attempt 

 towards familiarity by a snarl. When thus irritated 

 the ears are drawn down close to the head, the eyes 

 glare with an expression of malignant fury, and the 

 teeth are displayed, while, at the same time, they 

 utter a deep hissing not unlike that of a cat, and 

 very ditferent from the growl of the lion or tiger. 

 In a state of nature they avoid the face of man, and, 

 though of comparatively small size, are dangerous 

 enemies when hard-pressed or wounded. 



54. — ^The Booted Lynx 



{Petit calisata). This is a small species with the 

 tail much longer in proportion than in the caracal. 

 The total length is about three feet, of which the 

 tail measures thirteen inches. The ears are large, 

 red within, and tipped with a pencil of brown hairs ; 

 the sole and postenor part of the foot, or leg as it is 

 usually called, are of a deep black. The upper 

 parts of the body are of a deep bluish grey, in some 



specimens fulvous, clouded with grey and sprinkled 

 with black hairs; the lower parts, throat, and 

 breast are reddish ; the thighs are marked with in- 

 distinct bands of rather bright brown, and two 

 bands cross the cheeks. The tail is black at the 

 tip with three or four incomplete rings above it, se- 

 parated from each other by whitish intervals. The 

 female has generally the tints more yellow ; the 

 young have well-defined dark bands on their sides. 

 This species inhabits the south of India, and Africa 

 from Egypt and Barbary to the Cape of Good Hope. 

 Birds and small quadrupeds are its prey. It makes 

 havoc among the flocks of wild guinea-fowls in 

 Africa, nor does it refuse the remains of large quad- 

 rupeds on which the lion or panther have feasted. 

 Cuvier applied the term Lynx des Marais to this 

 species as well as to the chaus, but at the same 

 time with a remark that some consider the two 

 animals to be distinct. 



55. — The Chaus 



{Fells Chaus, Giildenst.). The Chaus, according to 

 Colonel Sykes, is called mota rahn manjur, or larger 

 wild cat, by the Marhattas. This species has been 

 cleared up by Riippell from the confusion in which 

 it had become involved. He describes it as well 

 covered with fur, the under-coat of which is woolly 

 and soft, but the long hairs are not thickly set. The 

 colour of the woolly hair is a dirty palish ochre 

 yellow, darker on the back, lighter beneath ; the 

 long hairs are of the same tint at the base, have a 

 dark-brown middle ring, and are tipped with greyish- 

 yellow, whitish, or saffron, so that the appearance 

 produced is a mixed colouring of greyish-yellow 

 and dirty-white. Many of the hairs on the sides 

 are tipped with black, and, where these are nume- 

 rous, dusky lines or dashes are produced. The 

 saffron-tipped hairs prevail on the back, and form 

 a yellow stripe from the shoulders to the tail ; 

 the nose is black ; above and below the eye is 

 a large white spot ; a black streak runs from the 

 inner corner of the eye to the nose. The edges of 

 the lips are black, and encircled by a white ring. 

 Cheeks and whiskers white, a few black bristles 

 being interspersed among the latter : back of the 

 ears grey-brown, with black pencils. Externally 

 the limbs are barred with four or five transverse black 

 bands. The tail is one-fourth as long as the body, 

 and annulated towards the termination, which is 

 black and abrupt. 



The chaus inhabits the north of Africa along the 

 course of the Nile, and perhaps more remote dis- 

 tricts. It is found in the morasses and bushy low- 

 lands that border the Caspian Sea, and along the 

 banks of its tributary rivers. It is said to be com- 

 mon in Persia ; it is also an inhabitant of the 

 Deccan. Everywhere it appears to give preference 

 to marshes and boggy wastes, where brushwood 

 afi"ords it shelter. It lives upon birds, small quad- 

 rupeds, and even fishes : it seldom climbs trees, and 

 is not easily tamed. 



56. — The European Lynx 



{Felis Lynx, Temminck, not Linn, and Nilsson ; 

 F. virgata, Nilsson). This is the ordinary lynx of 

 Europe, extending from Scandinavia to Naples and 

 the Pyrenees. Specimens were lately living in the 

 menagerie of the Zoological Society of London from 

 Norway. Giildenstadt states it to exist on the Cau- 

 csisus, where it is a great pest. Besides this lynx, 

 Europe possesses the following : — 



The Arctic Lynx (Felis borealis, Temminck, not 

 Thunberg ; F. Lynx, Linn, and Nilsson). It inhabits 

 the north of Scandinavia, and probably Siberia and 

 the forest of Ural. 



The Great Lynx {Felis cervaria, Linn. ; F. borealis, 

 Thunberg, not Temminck; Siberian Lynx of fur- 

 riers ; Kat-lo of Swedes). It inhabits Norway, Asia- 

 tic Russia, and also the Caucasus, according to 

 M. Menestries, who says the Persians call it Vaar- 

 chach. (See Nilsson.) 



The Pardine Lynx {Felis pardina, Temminck). 

 This is the Portuguese Lynx of furriers. It is a 

 well-marked species, inhabiting the mountain re- 

 gions of Spain, Portugal, and other southern dis- 

 tricts. Fine examples are living in the menagerie 

 of the Zoological Society of London, and specimens 

 are preserved in the Paris Museum which were 

 killed in Portugal, not far from Lisbon, in 1808 : 

 it is a beautiful animal. Colonel Sykes obtained 

 skins in Andalusia, where it is called gato clavo. 

 It inhabits the Sierra Morena. 



The European or Red Lynx represented in the 

 figure is of a dull reddish-grey, or rufous tint, with 

 dark nisty-brown spots of an oblong form on the 

 sides, and rounder and smaller spots on the limbs ; 

 the under parts are whitish mottled with black. 

 In winter the fur is much longer than in summer, 

 and also fuller; and assumes a hoary tinge, the long 

 hairs becoming tipped with greyish-white ; the 

 ears are pencilled ; the tail is short, and tipped with 

 black. The length of the head and body is nearly 

 three feet ; of the tail, six or seven inches. The 



European lynx feeds upon small quadrupeds and 

 birds, and climbs trees easily. Hares, squiirels, 

 rabbits, and also sheep, fall victims to it. When 

 attacked by a dog it lies down on its back and de- 

 fends itself with its claws. Those we have seen in 

 captivity were very playful. Its fur is valuable in 

 commerce ; the colder the climate and season of 

 the year, the finer and fuller it is. 



"The limits of the lynx," observes Cuvier, "in 

 the ancient continent aie not perfectly ascertained. 

 We know, indeed, that it is common in the forests 

 of the north of Europe and Asia. MM. Blumen- 

 bach, Bechstein, and Tiedemann cite instances of 

 their having been killed even lately in Germany, 

 but they are becoming more ancl more scarce. 

 M. Schintz says that it is not uncommon in the 

 mountains of Switzeriand. M. Delabre cites an 

 instance of one killed in Auvergne in 1788." 



57. — The Canada Lynx 

 {Felis Canadensis, Geoff.). There is some question 

 about this species, which we believe to be entirely 

 identical with the F. borealis of Temminck ; and 

 consequently that the title Canadensis is a mere 

 synonym. The range of this boreal lynx is not 

 limited, therefore, to the old world only, but is also 

 extended to the northern parts of America. It is 

 found north of the great lakes, and eastward of the 

 Rocky Mountains : it is rare on the sea-coast, does 

 not frequent the barren grounds, but is not uncom- 

 mon in the wooded districts of the interior. It is 

 found on the Mackenzie River as far north as 66°. 

 Specimens in the museum of the Zoological Society 

 of London were procured by Douglas in California. 

 Dr. Richardson states that the eariy French writew 

 on Canada, who ascribed to this species the habit of 

 dropping from the trees on the backs of deer and 

 destroying them by tearing their throats and drink- 

 ing their blood, gave it the name of Loup Cervier. 

 The French Canadians now term it indifferently 

 Le Chat or Le Peeshoo. With respect to its attack- 

 ing deer in the way said, the statement is errone- 

 ous ; and if really practised by any ferocious animal, 

 is most probably so by the puma. The same habit 

 has been attributed to the wolverene or glutton, from 

 a mistake of Charlevoix in applying to this lynx the 

 name of Carcajou, which is proper to the wolverene 

 only. The following is Dr. Richardson's description :— 



" The head is round, the nose obtuse, and the face 

 has much of the form of that of the domestic cat, 

 but the facial line is more convex between the eyes. 

 The ears are erect, triangular, and tipped by an up- 

 right slender tuft of coarse black hairs : they are 

 placed about their own breadth apart, and on their 

 porterior surface they have a dark mark beneath 

 the tip, which is continued near both margins down- 

 wards towards their bases. On the body and ex- 

 tremities the fur is hoary, most of the hairs being 

 tipped with white ; on the crown of the head, and 

 for a broad space down the middle -of the back, 

 there is a considerable mixture of blackish-brown, 

 and on the sides and legs of pale wood-brown. In 

 some specimens these colours produce an indistinct 

 mottling, but in general there are no defined mark- 

 ings. A rufous tinge is also occasionally present 

 about the nape of the neck, and on the posterior 

 parts of the thigh. The tail is coloured like the 

 back, except the tip, which is black. The fur is 

 close and fine on the back, longer and paler on the 

 belly. When blown aside it shows on the mid- 

 dle of the back a dark liver-brown colour from the 

 roots to near the tip, but on the sides it is for the 

 greatest part of its length of a pale yellowish-brown, 

 being merely a little darker near the roots. The 

 legs are thick, the toes very thick and funy, and 

 are armed with very sharp awl-shaped white claws, 

 shorter than the fur. There are four toes on each 

 foot, those on the hind-foot being rather the largest, 

 but both feet have much spread. Length three 

 feet, one inch," &c. 



This Boreal or Canadian lynx is by no means 

 courageous : it never ventures to attack large quad- 

 rupeds, but preys chiefly on the American hare, for 

 the capture of which it is well provided. "Its 

 large paws, slender loins, and long but thick hind- 

 legs, with large buttocks scarcely relieved by a short 

 thick tail, give it an awkward, clumsy appearance. 

 It makes a poor fight when it is surprised by a hunter 

 in a tree ; for though it spits like a cat, and sets its 

 hair up, it is easily destroyed by a blow on the back 

 with a slender stick ; and it never attacks a man. 

 Its gait is by bounds straightforward, with the back 

 a little arched, and lighting on all the feet at once. 

 It swims well, and will cross the arm of a lake two 

 miles wide, but is not swift on land. It breeds 

 once a year, and has two young at a time." Its 

 flesh is eaten by the natives, and is white and ten- 

 der, but destitute of flavour, and closely resembles 

 that of the American hare. The skin of this species 

 is an important article in commerce. The annual 

 importation by the Hudson's Bay Company is stated 

 to be from seven to nine thousand. 



Besides this lynx there are others in America. 



C 2 



