Canada lynx. 137 



formed of longer hairs than those on the surrounding parts; this ruff sur- 

 rounds the throat and reaches the chin, but does not extend around the 

 neck above. The female has the ruff much shorter than the male. Body, 

 robust, thick, and heavy ; and from the form, we are inclined to believe 

 that this species is far less fleet than its congener the Bay lynx. The 

 hair has a woolly appearance ; under-fur, Tery dense and soft, mixed 

 with hairs somewhat rigid and two inches in length. On the under sur- 

 face, the hairs are thinner, and a little longer than those above. Thighs, 

 strong ; legs, thick and clumsy, presenting a slight resemblance to those 

 of the bear. Toes, thick, so completely concealed by the fur that the 

 tracks made in the snow by this animal, do not show distinct impressions 

 of them, like those made by the fox, or the Bay lynx. Their tracks are 

 round, leaving no marks of the nails unless the animal is running, when 

 its toes are widely spread, and its nails leave the appearance of slight 

 scratches in the snow. Tail, thickly covered with hair, short, slightly 

 turned upward. Nails, very strong, much larger than those of the Bay 

 lynx, curved, and acuminate. 



Nose, flesh coloured ; pupil of the eye, black, iris amber colour ; mar- 

 gin of the lips, and inner surface of the ears, yellowish-brown ; face, and 

 around the eyes, light-gray ; whiskers, nearly all white, a few black ; out- 

 er margin of the ear, edged with black, widening as it approaches the ex- 

 tremity, where it is half an inch broad ; tuft of ear, black ; the ruff under 

 the throat is light-gray, mixed in the centre of the circle with long tufts 

 of black hair. When the hairs on the back are blown aside, they exhibit 

 a dark yellowish-brovim colour. The long hairs on the back, black to 

 near the extremity, where there is an annulation of yellowish-brown, 

 finally tipped with black ; general colour of the back, gray, with a shade 

 of rufous, and slightly varied with shades of a darker colour ; under 

 surface, dull white, with irregular broad spots of dark-brown situated on 

 the inner surface of the fore-legs, and extending along the belly, these 

 spots are partially covered by long whitish hairs in the vicinity. In one 

 of our specimens these dark-coloured spots are altogether wanting. The 

 legs are of the colour of the sides; upper surface of the tail, to within an 

 inch of the tip, and exterior portion of the thighs, rufous ; beneath yellow- 

 ish- white ; extremity of the tail black. 



IS 



