324 



The L. fasciaius or Columbia Eiver race differs from rufus iu its more 

 uniform and darker (chestnut rather than reddish) coloration, by the 

 markings on the dorsal surface and sides of the body being nearly obso- 

 lete, and the fuller, softer fur, which is about as heavy and soft as iu 

 canadensis. We have hence, in this form, only another instance of the 

 duller, darker, and more uniform coloration that characterizes the 

 greater part of the Mammals (and many Birds also) from the humid, 

 heavily-wooded Columbia Eiver region, as compared with their conspe- 

 cific allies of the other portions of the continent. 



L. canadensis differs from these several southern races mainly as the 

 northern representatives of a given species usually differ from its south- 

 ern representatives, namely, in its softer and longer pelage, more heav- 

 iiy-clothed feet, longer ear-tufts, paler or grayer general color, and more 

 indistinct markings, and especially inatendeucyto entire obsolescence of 

 the markings on the lower surface of the body and inner side of the legs. 

 The tail has a shorter area of black at the end, and lacks the white on the 

 lo^er surface at the extreme tip, so constantly seen in the other forms. 

 The tail is but little, if any, shorter, although the greater length and 

 thickness of the fur give it that appearance. There is, however, a 

 tendency to a greater length of tail to the southward. Its supposed 

 greater size and larger limbs are also due almost wholly to the greater 

 fullness and length of the pelage, the fresh carcass (in a specimen from 

 Houlton, Me.) with the skin removed giving the same measurements 

 as in L. rufus (a specimen from Colorado). 



The prior name for the group of American Lynxes is undoubtedly 

 rufics of Guldeustadt (1776), which antedates by about forty years Ra- 

 Snesque's names of canadensis, montanus, and Jloridaniis (1817). The L. 

 maculatus of Horslield and Vigors (1829), which was admitted as a 

 valid species by Baird, but regarded as merely a variety of rufus by 

 Audubon and Bachman, is evidently subspecifically indistinguishable 

 from the true riifiis of authors. L. fasciatus of Raflnesque (based on the 

 " Tiger Cat " of Lewis and Clarke, from the Columbia River region) is far 

 more tangible, sufficiently so to be properly recognizable as a subspe- 

 cies {Lynx rufus &x\\is\}. fasciatus). The L. canadensis oi authors seems 

 to have even still stronger claims for nominal recognition, though the 

 differences are still clearly such as characterize geographical races. We 

 hence believe its relationship to the rest of the group is better indicated 

 by a name {L, rufus subsp. canadensis) indicating subspecific rather than 

 specific rank. 



A single adult skull (from Sweden) of the large Lynx of the north- 

 ern parts of the Old World {Lynx borealis) exceeds in size by an inch 

 the largest specimens of the American Lynxes, and hence seems to indi- 

 cate an animal fully one-fifth larger than even exceptionally large speci- 

 mens of L. rufus. 



