432 BIG GAME OF NORTH AMERICA. 



frequently passed by, even when searched for by a keen and 

 penetrating eye. The surface presented for the sight to 

 cover is a small one, and the more accurate the weapon, 

 the surer the kill. 



I would recommend a 38-caliber Winchester repeater for 

 hunting this animal. The 32-40 is an excellent arm for the 

 purpose, so far as it goes, but I dislike a single-shot rifle in 

 the woods. Use a repeater, by all means. For sights, I 

 prefer either the Winchester or Lyman ivory bead front 

 sight, and the open rear notch sight. 



A white front sight has a great advantage over any other 

 in heavjT^ and thick timber, where semi-darkness often reigns 

 supreme, as the white bead will here loom up conspicuously 

 against the fur of the crouching animal. 



A bead taken, if possible, an inch above and exactly 

 between the eyes, will, if the hunter hold right, insure him 

 no waste of ammunition, very little noise — and consequent 

 scaring of other game — and a handsome pelt, which is 

 always sought after and paid liberally for, if properly 

 cured. This shot also insures an instantaneous kill, which is 

 always a source of great pleasure to the true hunter. If 

 such a shot be not presented, a bead taken behind the 

 shoulder, well down toward the brisket, or one taken along 

 the spine, will be almost equally fatal; but no spot can you 

 strike which will cause a more instant death than the first- 

 mentioned. 



The Lynx exceeds three feet in length when developed, 

 and I have seen specimens that weighed sixty pounds; forty 

 pounds, however, is a fair average. He is a splendid swim- 

 mer — rapid in his movements — his broad, heavy limbs giving 

 him great power and speed in the water. The dog that can 

 keep within hailing-distance of this big cat, in the river or 

 in the lake, must be a hustler, and no mistake. 



I once saw a good- sized specimen take to the water, in 

 Lake Leman, in British Columbia, when hard-pressed by 

 our dogs, and swim clear across the lake, which is about a 

 mile wide. He speedily left the dogs far behind, and would 

 have escaped up the other bank but for a stray bullet which 



