PANTHERS, AND OUR OTHER CATS. 417 
grouse, hares, squirrels, and other small creatures, which 
constitute its habitual prey. It has even been represented 
as having killed a deer—though I conjecture it must have 
been a wounded one. It is true there is less known of its 
habits than of those of the southern species; but on the 
whole, I am disposed. to regard it as a less enterprising, and 
therefore less interesting species. 
Indeed, it is by no means through the character of this 
gray northern animal, that the wide-spread notoriety of the 
wild cat, in connection with border life, has obtained in this 
country. It is to the more fierce, predatory, and pugnacious 
temperament of its tawny.and mottled brother of. the south, 
that the family reputation is mainly owing. The panther, 
(or cougar,) with even its greater size and more formidable 
attributes, is not more entirely identified with our wildest 
legends, scenes, and adventures, than is this bay lynx. 
I give, in conclusion, a characteristic paper, in which a 
Cougar hunt is described by Mr. Audubon. This, as afford- 
ing an additional glimpse of the adventurous out-door life of 
the great Naturalist, possesses a greater interest than any 
relation of personal adventure I could give, although such 
are abundant enough. He says :— 
There is an extensive Swamp in the section of the State 
of Mississippi which lies partly in the Choctaw territory. It 
commences at the borders of the Mississippi, at no great 
distance from a Chickasaw village, situated near the mouth 
of a creek known by the name of Vanconnah, and partly 
inundated by the swellings of several large bayous, the 
principal of which, crossing the swamp in its whole extent, 
discharges its waters not far from the mouth of the Yazoo 
River. This famous bayou is called False River. The 
swamp of which I am speaking follows the. windings of the 
Yazoo, until the latter branches off to the north-east, and at 
this point forms the stream named Cold Water River, below 
which the Yazoo receives the draining of another bayou 
