THE AMBUSCADE. 67 



The Lynx, which is the animal portrayed in the accompanying illustration, 

 is one of the feebler members of the Cat Tribe, of which the Lion and the Tiger 

 are the most majestic and powerful representatives. Some of the species of Lynx 

 are of considerable size, but none are ever found so large as to become formidable 

 to man. They prey upon goats and sheep and smaller animals, and also pay fre- 

 quent visits to the poultry, if not too near the house ; for, like all wild cats, the 

 Lynx is very shy and fearful of trusting itself in the vicinity of any habitation. 

 Nocturnal in its ways, it sleeps throughout the day in some rocky fastness, coming 

 forth at the going down of the sun, to begin its round of devastation and robbery. It 

 rarely ventures to attack large animals, and then only after it has been rendered 

 well-nigh desperate by long-continued hunger. The claws, though slender, are 

 highly formidable, as they are very sharply pointed; and are apparently far better 

 adapted for prehension, or seizing the prey, than for tearing away the skin. This 

 latter operation seems to be the principal use to which the large cats, such as 

 the Lion and Tiger, devote the great talons that arm their paws ; for usually 

 these animals strike their victims to the earth by one powerful blow, and then 

 employ their claws for removing the skin and exposing bare the flesh. In 

 fact, the claws of the great Feles above alluded to, are usually split and broken at 

 their points, but they can be pulled away from beneath until they become sharp 

 again. This is caused by their constant growth, and as they are softer beneath 

 than above, the point becomes broken off, and a split commences. After this 

 has taken place, the points frequently grow inconveniently long, and it is to free 

 themselves from this annoyance that all cats are in the habit of scratching at 

 the carpets and legs of chairs, or else, when in a state of nature, upon the trunks 

 and limbs of trees. Mr. Darwin has stated that the Puma, in Patagonia, where 

 trees are scarce, when troubled by lengthened claws is accustomed to make deep 

 scores in the bare, hard soil. 



Although some species are found in the warmer countries of the globe, such 

 as Spain and the southern parts of North America, yet the Lynx may be called an 

 inhabitant of the boreal regions of the earth ; its thick fur, which causes the animal 

 to appear very much larger and heavier than is actually the case, enabling it to 

 withstand intense cold without inconvenience. Generally they are solitary in their 

 habits ; but there are certain species, such as the Caracal of Asia and Africa, which, 

 unlike most cats, hunt in troops and overcome their prey by force of numbers. 



