AMERICAN LYNX. 49 



" The early French writers on Canada, who ascribed 

 to it the habit of dropping from trees on the back of 

 deer, and destroying them by tearing their throats and 

 drinking their blood, gave it the name of Loup-cervier." 



EUEOPEAN LYNX. 



Felis Lynx. 

 French : Lynx mouchete. German : Europaischer Lynx. 



The European Lynx is a rather rare animal com- 

 pared to the foregoing ; it inhabits Eussia, Norway, 

 Sweden, Finland, Galicia and Spain, and formerly was 

 also found in France. 



The Northern form is very similar to the Lynx of 

 Canada Proper and Labrador, having in its winter 

 pelage a soft, silvery and fine coat ; in its summer dress 

 it is rather redder than the American type. 



The skins are used for the same purposes as the 

 American Lynx, and are stretched and treated very 

 much like those of Nova Scotia and Labrador. The 

 best skins are worth about 22s. (1885). 



The colour of the European Lynx varies considerably, 

 according to the locality where it is found ; it is some- 

 times light brown, and marked with small black spots. 



The Southern type, called sometimes Felis pardina 

 by naturalists, is more spotted and has less fur, owing 

 to the milder climate which it inhabits. 



It can hardly be called a well-defined species, nor can 

 the Europe^in form be consistently separated from the 

 American type, when the varieties of the Elk, Eeindeer, 

 Wolverine and Ermine (which are common to both 

 Continents) are classified respectively as one species. 



Like the American Lynx, this animal climbs and lives 

 in trees, and preys on birds, small mammals, etc. 



