THE WILD CAT OF MUSKOKA 201 



silent leaps, his broad paws supporting him on 

 the snow, or alighting without a sound among 

 brittle twigs, or dry leaves of a past summer, 

 enabling him to pounce on grouse or hare before 

 they have time to take alarm." (American 

 Animals , 1903.) 



Big Game Hunting contains the following: 

 " The wild cat is often followed on horseback, 

 with a pack of hounds, when the country is 

 favourable. They often maul an inexperienced 

 pack quite badly, inflicting severe scratches and 

 bites on any hound which has just resolution 

 enough to come to close quarters, but not to rush 

 in furiously ; but big fighting dogs will readily 

 kill them. At Thompson's Falls, two of Willis's 

 hounds killed a wild cat unaided, though one got 

 torn. Archibald Rogers' dog Sly, a cross between 

 a greyhound and a bull-mastiff, killed a bob-cat 

 single-handed. He bayed the cat, and then began 

 to threaten it, leaping from side to side ; suddenly 

 he broke the motion, and rushing in, got his foe 

 by the small of the back, and killed it without 

 receiving a scatch." 



" Bears, wolves, and lynxes still occasionally 

 attack human beings, and very likely get away 

 without being shot at in many instances. There 



