208 WILD LIFE IN' CHINA. 



ages ago. Whether or no he is to be found within the limits 

 of the Empire in his wild state I cannot say. He is known 

 in Persia, however, and the chances are that diligent search 

 through the westernmost portionsofthe Celestial Empire would 

 find him there. He attains a length of seven feet and stands 

 from thirty to thirty-three inches in height, and even in India 

 is far better known in the tame than in the wild state. When 

 out hunting, his eyes are hooded after the manner pursued 

 in falconry until the quarry is sighted. Well treated, the 

 cheetah is said to develop many cat-like qualities, purring 

 with pleasure and rubbing itself against the legs of its friends 

 in quite a tabby-like style. Its speed is very great, so great 

 that when at its best, "the speed of a race-horse is for the 

 moment much inferior." Leopard-like, it seizes its prey by 

 the throat and holds on there, -keeping, in the case of buck, 

 one paw over the horns to prevent hurt to itself. 



Felis lynx, usually known as the lynx, and formerly 

 far more numerous in Europe than it is at present, stretches 

 through Russia into Siberia, and in one form or other is 

 found in Persia and Tibet. The true lynxes are, I believe, 

 all northern animals. They vary in colour from pale sandy 

 grey, to a rufous-fawn or ferruginous red, the under parts 

 being white. About 3 ft. 6 in. is the length of a large full-sized 

 lynx, but a specimen has been known to reach 4 ft. If in. 

 Forest dwellers, expert climbers, and more or less of a 

 retiring nature, lynx maj' eventually be found in parts of the 

 Chinese Empire where, so far, it is not known. In Tibet 

 where the variety known is Felis Isabelliiia. its habits con- 

 form to the nature of the country, and trees being scarce, it 

 makes its home amongst rocks and barren sandy wastes. 

 On the mountains it ranges in height from 5.000 ft. in winter, 

 to some 13.000 ft. in summer. Goats, sheep, smaller mam- 

 mals, and birds form its food. 



The lynx is a peculiar looking animal owing to the long 

 tufts of hair and the whiskered ruff dependent from the side 

 of its head and jaws. The soles of the feet, too, are covertd 

 with hair. Its danger to man lies in its wasteful destructive- 

 ness, for it will frequently kill far more than it needs to eat. 

 One pair is reported to have destroyed half a dozen sheep 

 in a single night. Their agility is remarkable. In con- 

 tradistinction to that of most other members of the cat 

 family, the tail of the lynx is short. The animal is however, 

 all the more interesting from the fact that ibmparatively 

 little is known of it. 



• 1^1 a i »j}.»'-« — 



