186 A SPORTING PARADISE 



neighbourhood. It is therefore possible, from 

 the similarity of habits, the density of the bush, 

 and the brief opportunity for observation, for a 

 hunter to return home with some extraordinary 

 story about the ferocity or timidity of the wild 

 cat, when in reality no such creature was within 

 fifty miles. 



The wild cat not only makes havoc among 

 the chickens, turkeys, and ducks of the settler, 

 but destroys many of the smaller quadrupeds, 

 as well as partridges, and such other birds as he 

 can surprise roosting on the ground. He is 

 sometimes hunted in the South with packs of 

 hounds. When hard pressed by the dogs, he 

 ascends a tree with great agility, and should he 

 be dislodged from his perch he will fight fiercely 

 with the pack until killed. 



An old trapper, during a long conversation, in- 

 formed me that he knew of only one wild animal 

 that he had reason to fear "an animal/* he 

 said, " which feared neither man nor the devil." 



When I pressed him for an explanation, he 

 informed me that it was the wild cat. He had 

 known the wild cat to be concealed upon an 

 overhanging bough and drop down upon any 

 unsuspecting creature beneath, whether man or 



