Feb., 1912. Mammals of Illinois and Wisconsin — Cory. 295 



trapped many of them by placing a live hen in a box frame covered 

 with wire netting and setting steel traps on opposite sides. In running 

 around the cage trying to find an entrance, the animal is almost certain 

 to be caught in one of the traps; but they are very suspicious of a bait 

 over a steel trap and are not nearly so likely to be taken as by the 

 method above described. The best and probably the only satisfactory 

 way to hunt them is with dogs. Almost any dog will trail a Wild Cat, 

 as the scent seems to be very strong. In fact in the South, where they 

 are numerous, they are a nuisance when one is hunting Panthers or 

 Bear, as the hounds will often leave the trail of these animals and follow 

 the later made track of a Wild Cat. When chased by hounds Wild 

 Cats will very often run in a circle, going over the same trail again and 

 again unless pressed too closely by the dogs. Sometimes, however, 

 they will take to a tree at once, or again run straight for a long distance 

 before doing so. Usually a full grown Wild Cat is more than a match 

 for any dog, but one of my powerful bear dogs once caught a large one 

 on the ground and killed it alone, although he was rather badly scratched 

 in the encounter. Unlike many animals, unless taken very young they 

 never become tame in captivity. Several which I have kept for more 

 than a year were as vicious as when first taken, and always snarled and 

 growled savagely whenever I approached the cage. 



The young are born in some sort of a den, often a hollow tree or log, 

 and number from two to four. The flesh is palatable and far better, 

 in my opinion, than that of Raccoon or Opossum. This statement has 

 the support of Dr. C. Hart Merriam who says,* ''I have eaten the flesh 

 of the Wild Cat, and can pronounce it excellent. It is white and very 

 tender, and suggests veal more than any other meat with which I am 

 familiar." 



Specimens examined from Illinois, Wisconsin and adjoining states: 

 Wisconsin — (O. C.) Bayfield Co. (skull), i ; Gordon, Douglas Co. (skull), 



i; Langlade Co. (adults), 3; (S. C.) Ashland Co. (skulls), 6=11. 

 Illinois — Rock Island Co., i . (In Northwestern University collection.) 

 Minnesota — Aitken, i. 



* Mamm. Adirondack Reg., 1886, p. 41. 



