134 



THE BEASTS OF PREY. 



ifornia ; the Oregon Lynx {Lynx fasciata), which in- 

 habits northern Oregon and Washington ; the Flor- 

 ida Lynx | Lynx Jloritlanus), which is found in Florida, 

 Georgia, Alabama and Louisiana, and the Carolina 



PEESHOO. OR CANADIAN LYNX. This animal is somewhat smaller and is neither so active nor so fero- 

 cious as the European species. It is regarded as a lazy animal, liking its ease, and is appropriately presented by the 

 artist in an attitude of repose. Its ears are not quite so long, but its ear-tufts are longer than those of the Common 

 Lynx. (Lynx borealis.) 



Lynx {Lynx carolinensis), found in North and South 

 Carolina. There does not appear to be much justifi- 

 cation for these divisions, which are based principally 

 upon the different 

 markings of the fur, In 

 a general way it may be 

 said that the specimens 

 obtained from southern 

 climates are shorter in 

 their fur, more brightly 

 colored and more dis- 

 tinctly spotted than 

 those from the northern 

 regions, but otherwise 

 these animals do not 

 differ in their habits and 

 characteristics, which 

 are those of the Lynx 

 group in general. 



The Caracal, Among 



a Southern southern 



Species of Lynx. Lynxes 



the Caracal {Lynx cara- 

 cal or Caracal melattotis), 

 strikes one as a genuine 

 child of the desert and 

 plain. This animal is 

 smaller than the north- 

 ern species being from 

 twenty-six to thirty 

 inches long, while its 

 tail attains a length of 

 nearly ten inches. 



The range of the Car- 

 acal is surprisingly large. 



His mode of life is similar to that of his kindred. 

 He preys upon all smaller mammals and birds of 

 the desert, and also attacks Antelopes; at least the 

 Arabs, who call him "Khut el Chala," have assured 



me that he does. This 

 also agrees with the fact 

 that in Asia, and espe- 

 cially India, he is trained 

 for Antelope, Hare and 

 Rabbit hunting. In my 

 experience the Caracal, 

 proportionately to its 

 size, is the fiercest and 

 wildest member of the 

 Lynx group. No zoo- 

 logical garden has as 

 yet succeeded in taming 

 the ferocious little beast 

 beyond mere toleration 

 of the presence of his 

 keeper in his cage. 



The The common 



Common Jungle-Cat 



Jungle-Cat. (l ynx c haus) 



chiefly inhabits the low 



swampy woods on the 



shores of the Caspian 



and Aral Seas, and also 



in Persia, Syria, Egypt, 



Nubia and Abyssinia. 



He is, like the Caracal, 



slender and long of limb, 



but has a longer tail and 



shorter ear-tufts. The 



fur is thick, of a yellow or greenish gray, with faded, 



darker stripes which are not very sharply defined. 



He attains a total length of thirty-six inches of 



COMMON JUNGLE-CAT. This animal, which is of the Lynx family, lives in western Asia and in the Nile 



valley. He is pictured in one of the reedy swamps which form his favorite haunts, and the somewhat slender body and 

 limbs, marked with indistinct stripes, and the tail which is longer than that of other members of his family are all 

 shown. (Lynx chaus.) 



which about ten inches must be allowed for the tail. 



I have met the Jungle-Cat several times in the 



Nile valley. He is not rare in Egypt, although he 



He inhabits all Africa, 

 western Asia and India, and lives in deserts as well 

 as on grassy plains, but he is not found in forests. 



