FAMILY FELIDAE. 
47 
GENUS FELIS. Linneus. 
Ears short and distant, not tufted. No mane. Tail long, varying occasionally in the same 
species. Tongue roughened with prickles. Claws curved and acute. Cheekteeth eight 
above, and six below. 
Obs. The common imported Domestic Cat belongs to this genus. It is now generally 
believed to have been derived from the F. maniculata, Ruppel, which still exists in a wild state 
in the northern parts of Africa. Ruppel supposes it to have been first reclaimed by the 
Egyptians. It is a common opinion that we have, in this country, wild cats, which have been 
derived either from the domestic cat resuming its primitive wildness, or by alliance with those 
already in a wild state. This is a great error. We have no small species, characterized by 
a long tail, in the country. 
THE NORTHERN PANTHER. 
Felis concolor. 
PLATE IX. FIG. 2. Adult. — PLATE IX. FIG. 1. Young. 
Felis concolor. Lin., Gmel. Yol. 1, p. 79. 
Cuguar. Los KIEL, p. 82. 
F. cougar. Temminck, Monog. de Mamm. p. 134. 
F. concolor. Harlan, Fauna Am. p. 94. 
The Cougar. Godman, Am. Nat. Hist. Yol. 1, p. 291, figure. 
F. concolor, Desm. Mammalogie, p. 218. 
The Puma , or American Lion. Emmons, Mass. Report, 1840, p. 35. 
Characteristics. Very large. Uniform tawny, paler beneath. Length 7 - 10 feet. Young, 
spotted with brown. 
Description. Body long, cylindrical, and rather slender. Legs robust, and comparatively 
short. Ears somewhat rounded. Tail long, slender, cylindrical. Fur soft and short. 
Color. Body and legs of a uniform fulvous or tawny hue. I have never observed the spots 
of a deeper hue, seen only in certain lights, which Temminck ascribes to this species. Ears 
light-colored within, blackish behind. Belly pale reddish or reddish white. Face sometimes 
with a uniform lighter tint than the general hue of the body; oftener with the mouth, clnn, 
and internal angle of the eyes white. “ Tail of the male longer than the female, dark brown 
“ at the extremity.” {Emmons.) 
Head and body,. 53'0 - 84 • 0. 
Tail,. 20-0 - 27-0. 
Description of a young Panther, not more than a week old, from the Collection of Prof. 
Emmons. Ears pendulous, furnished with hair within and without, projecting beyond the 
margins. The whole body covered with a soft dense fur, forming on the sides of the neck 
an indistinct collar. Claws sharp, curved, not channelled. 
