WITH THE COUGAR HOUNDS 27 



not after the men. They were simply after the dog; but 

 I have never within my own experience come upon an- 

 other instance of wolves venturing to attack a domestic 

 animal in the immediate presence of and protected by a 

 man. Exactly as these two wolves suddenly chose to 

 behave with an absolutely unexpected daring, so a cougar 

 will occasionally lose the fear of man which is inherent 



(in its race. 



Normally, then, the cougar is not in any way a for- 

 midable foe to man, and it is certainly by no means as 

 dangerous to dogs as it could be if its courage and in- 

 telligence equalled its power to do mischief. It strikes 

 with its forepaw like a cat, lacerating the foe with its 

 sharp claws ; or else it holds the animal with them, while 

 the muscular forearm draws it in until the fatal bite may 

 be inflicted. Whenever possible it strives to bite an as- 

 sailant in the head. Occasionally, when fighting with a 

 large dog, a cougar will throw itself on its back and try 

 to rip open its antagonist with its hind feet. Male cou- 

 gars often fight desperately among themselves. 



Although a silent beast, yet at times, especially during 

 the breeding season, the males utter a wild scream, and 

 the females also wail or call. I once heard one cry re- 

 peatedly after nightfall, seemingly while prowling for 

 game. On an evening in the summer of 1897 Dr. Mer- 

 riam had a rather singular experience with a cougar. 

 His party was camped in the forest by Tannum Lake, 

 on the east slope of the Cascades, near the headwaters 

 of a branch of the Yakima. The horses were feeding 

 near by. Shortly after dark a cougar cried loudly in 



