ret THE FATHER OF GAME 41 
territory, the extent of which was determined by 
their ability to hunt over it, and to defend it from 
rivals of their own species, for they had’ nothing 
else to fear. 
It is an interesting speculation, indeed, whether 
the apparent cowardice of the northern puma is 
not in reality ignorance of danger, since he may 
not suppose that man is more to be feared than 
other large animals, whose attack he has no reason 
to dread, even though, as in the case of the moose 
and bison, he might hesitate to become himself the 
attacking party. The conspicuously greater cour- 
age of the African and Asiatic cats might easily 
have arisen from the need of frequently fighting 
for their quarry with competitors as capable as 
themselves, and from their constant encounters 
with large and well-armed game, such as the rhi- 
noceros, buffalo, and long-horned antelopes. Fierce 
battles are reported, however, as occurring between 
the California puma and grizzly bears. 
It is not the habit of the puma to wander far 
from the den, where a single family seems to make 
its home. Whether a mate is taken for life is not 
known, but at least it seems probable that a change 
of partners is not made with each recurring season. 
The male and female hunt separately, however, and 
sportsmen assert that the latter is the better hunter 
of the two. This, if true, is perhaps a result of 
greater need and more constant practice, since she 
must get food not only for herself, but for her 
