432 BIG GAME OF NORTH AMERICA. 



frequently passed by, even when searched for by a keen and 

 penetrating eye. The surface presented for the sight to 

 cover is a small one, and the more accurate the weapon, 

 the surer the kill. 



I would recommend a 38-caliber Winchester repeater for 

 hunting this animal. The 32-40 is an excellent arm for the 

 purpose, so far as it goes, but I dislike a single-shot rifle in 

 the woods. Use a repeater, by all means. For sights, I 

 prefer either the Winchester or Lyman ivory bead front 

 sight, and the open rear notch sight. 



A white front sight has a great advantage over any other 

 in heavy and thick timber, where semi-darkness often reigns 

 supreme, as the white bead will here loom up conspicuously 

 against the fur of the crouching animal. 



A bead taken, if possible, an inch above and exactly 

 between the eyes, will, if the hunter hold right, insure him 

 no waste of ammunition, very little noise and consequent 

 scaring of other game and a handsome pelt, which is 

 always sought after and paid liberally for, if properly 

 cured. This shot also insures an instantaneous kill, which is 

 always a source of great pleasure to the true hunter. If 

 such a shot be not presented, a bead taken behind the 

 shoulder, well down toward the brisket, or one taken along 

 the spine, will be almost equally fatal; but no spot can you 

 strike which will cause a more instant death than the first- 

 mentioned. 



The Lynx exceeds three feet in length when developed, 

 and I have seen specimens that weighed sixty pounds; forty 

 pounds, however, is a fair average. He is a splendid swim 

 mer rapid in his movements his broad, heavy limbs giving 

 him great power and speed in the water. The dog that can 

 keep within hailing-distance of this big cat, in the river or 

 in the lake, must be a hustler, and no mistake. 



I once saw a good- sized specimen take to the water, in 

 Lake Leman, in British Columbia, when hard pressed by 

 our dogs, and swim clear across the lake, which is about a 

 mile wide. He speedily. left the dogs far behind, and would 

 have escaped up the other bank but for a stray bullet which 



