Feb., 191 2. Mammals of Illinois and Wisconsin — Cory. 285 



in identification,* they are of interest, coming, as they do, from trust- 

 worthy men who are honest in their convictions. 



Herrick states that an animal of this species was killed in Sunrise^ 

 Chisago Co., Minnesota, in 1875. (/. c, p. 68.) 



Panthers are shy animals and on account of their nocturnal habits 

 are rarely seen even where they are not uncommon. As a rule they 

 do their hunting at night or after sunset and very early in the morning, 

 but on cloudy days or after a rain they often move about in the daytime.. 

 They are great wanderers, rarely staying long in one place unless 

 attracted by an unusual abundance of game or during the breeding sea- 

 son. They prey alike upon large and small animals. Rabbits and 

 Gophers are often killed by them and occasionally a Porcupine is added 

 to the list, in spite of the fact that the destruction of the latter is often 

 attended with unpleasant results, as Dr. C. Hart Merriam tells us:t 

 "It often happens that a Panther is killed whose mouth and lips and 

 sometimes other parts also, fairly bristle with the quills of this for- 

 midable rodent. Porcupines are such logy, sluggish creatures, that in 

 their noctivagations they fall an easy prey to any animal that cares 

 to meddle with them." 



While there is no doubt that Panthers kill a great many small 

 mammals, they are fond of larger game such as Deer, Sheep and Hogs, 

 when they can get them. In the vicinity of ranches they are undesirable 

 neighbors, as they will kill dogs and colts, and it is claimed when 

 pressed by hunger they will attack full grown cattle and Elk. While- 

 hunting in the vicinity of the McCloud River, California, in the 

 ''eighties," the ranchmen complained to me of the number of colts that 

 had been killed by Panthers. One man informed me he had lost five colts 

 and several calves that season. If a Panther kills an animal sufficiently 

 large to furnish more than one meal, such as a Deer or a Sheep, he 

 returns to it the second night but rarely the third night in localities 

 where game is plenty, and much of it is often left uneaten. In Florida, 

 where a slightly different race occurs but whose habits probably differ 

 but little from the northern form, I have on two occasions found a partly 

 eaten Deer in a state of decomposition, which had evidently been left 

 by a Panther. Another time I found a half -eaten fawn which had appar- 

 ently been killed the previous night. The Panther came back sometime 

 during the night, but did not attempt to touch the fawn, being ev- 



* On one occasion in Florida, while accompanied by an Indian, I had a momen- 

 tary glimpse of a brown animal as it sank down behind a clump of palmettos, and 

 we both believed it to be a Panther. Upon stalking it, however, we were astonished 

 to discover it to be a half -grown Deer. The fact that it attempted to hide instead 

 of running away aided in the deception. 



t Mamm. Adirondack Reg., 1886, p. 30.. 



