CANADIAN PORCUPINE — LYNX — WOLVES 325 



far south as Virginia, while on the western side it is met with from Alaska to Arizona 

 and New Mexico. It is true that American naturalists regard the western form as 

 specifically distinct, but this is a matter of little moment for our present purpose. 

 When excited, this rodent looks much larger than it really is, the quills being then 

 carried erect. These quills, which are attached loosely to the skin, and are slightly 

 barbed at the points, are very different in length, some measuring as much as 



4 inches, while others do not exceed an inch. The short spines, which are white 

 tipped with brown, are nearly hidden by the long brown hair of the body. For 

 the purpose of climbing, the Canadian porcupine is provided with long powerful 

 claws ; it spends most of its life in the trees, many of which it completely strips of 

 their foliage. Although it appears difficult for such a large, awkward animal to 

 reach the outer leaves, this is effected by the creature distributing its weight upon 

 several boughs and bending the twigs with its claws until it can draw them 

 through its mouth. It is but seldom that these rodents can be observed thus 

 occupied, since they lead a partially nocturnal life, and in daylight are so noiseless 

 in movement that they have often been mistaken for a bird's nest. 



The Canadian lynx (Felis lynx canadensis) may be looked upon 



as a local race of the European lynx, to which it is very similar. 



In length it measures about 30 inches, exclusive of the short tail, which is only 



5 inches long. In colour it varies according to the district it inhabits, being some- 

 times almost white, but usually dark grey tinged with chestnut, the legs being 

 darker, the tips of the hair white, and the back and upper portion of the outside 

 of the legs spotted with indistinct dark patches. The lynx of Alaska has been 

 separated as a distinct form (F. I. mollipilosa). The Canadian lynx is a forest- 

 dwelling animal, which rarely ventures near the abodes of man, although it will 

 kill pigs and lambs when opportunity offers, and attacks fawns, hares, and other 

 small mammals as well as game-birds. It moves in a series of bounds, alighting 

 after each on all four feet at once. The range of this and the allied races in 

 America extends from the Mackenzie River in 66° N. latitude to Pennsylvania 

 and California. This is the loup-cervier of the French Canadians ; the chat-cervier 

 is the red lynx (F. rufa), which is not met with very far north of the Canadian 

 boundary, whose range extends into Mexico. 



The North American representatives of the wolf, whose range 

 Wolves. . 



extends from Mexico to the far north, so much resemble the typical 



European form that they may be regarded as local races of that species, with the 



names of Canis lupus occidentalis and C. 1. nubilus. In colour the former race 



varies from all white through different shades of grey to all black, the majority 



of individuals being grey and white tinged with brown. Its range extends 



through western North America northwards to Greenland and south to Mexico, 



Idaho forming its limits on the east. The second, or eastern race, extends from 



the Great Slave Lake to Idaho, and southwards to perhaps California. - It is 



locally known as the timber-wolf. 



The North American representatives of the common fox (C. 



FOXGS 



vulpes) may likewise be regarded as local races of that species, 

 presenting considerable variation in colour. They range from Alaska, Hudson 

 Bay, and Labrador to Mexico. The largest is the Kadiak Island fox (C. v. 



