THE WILD CAT OF MUSKOKA 195 



The sounds were most blood-curdling, and the 

 settlers' children were afraid to pass near the 

 spot. The cries may not have been those of a 

 cougar, though personally I am sure they were. 

 The screams of the great horned owl, very 

 abundant in Muskoka, are sometimes mistaken 

 for the cries of this animal. 



The lynx, or wild cat, of Muskoka would 

 still remain a mystery to me, had I not once 

 discovered Felis canademis peering at me from 

 the shelter of a thick bough. I was travelling 

 north-east of Lake Rosseau in the direction of 

 Fairy Lake. I had ridden about ten miles from 

 Rosseau village, when my attention was drawn 

 to some partridges (tree-grouse) feeding on the 

 path some fifty yards ahead. I quickly dis- 

 mounted, and hitching my horse to a low bough, 

 walked rapidly towards them, taking the cover 

 of the thick bush to enable me to get a good shot. 

 Suddenly there arose a whirr almost at my feet, 

 and a covey of twenty birds flew away. Mark- 

 ing the spot where they settled, I soon arrived 

 in their neighbourhood, and commenced a 

 diligent search. While thus engaged, I chanced 

 to see a large, flat, hideous face with glaring eyes, 

 looking down upon me. I fired, and hit the 



