MAMMALS OF NORTHEKN OAITADA 179 



follows: The catch of lynxes for each of (say) three sea- 

 sons when they are least numerous, or rather comparatively 

 scarce, fell sometimes as low as 4,000 or 5,000 skins as the 

 entire output for the immense extent of territory covered 

 by the Hudson's Bay Company's business operations. The 

 fourth year would double these quantities, the fifth often 

 more than doubled the fourth, the sixth doubled the fifth, 

 while the seventh almost invariaibly witnessed the maximum 

 trade of 'skins. The eighth would still be good, while the 

 ninth and tenth would each exhibit a startling decline in the 

 returns, which in quantity would closely correspond with 

 the sixth and fifth years, respectively, in each decade. In- 

 deed, the regularity of these peculiar results in seasons of 

 scarcity and plenty is remarkably interesting. 



The Canada lynx is very widely distributed over the 

 " Great Mackenzie Basin." It feeds on eggs, ducks, part- 

 ridges, mice, stranded fish, and occasionally on a land-cap- 

 tured beaver, young deer, or sheep, while raibibits, of course, 

 form their staple article of diet. It is chiefly taken in 

 snares; some are trapped, and others are followed up with 

 dogs, treed, and shot. The fiesh is white and tender, and is 

 an important and much-relished native country product. The 

 female is said to bring forth from two to five, .and not unfre- 

 quently as many as six, at a birth annually in June and 

 July, the period of gestation being about three months. The 

 young are about the size of a puppy, with the eyes partly 

 open, but are very helpless for several days. They are 

 suckled for about two months. 



For the twenty-five years from 1853 to 1877, inclusive, 

 the company sold in London a total of 607,450 skins of the 

 Canada lynx, or an average of 20,298 a year. During that 

 period, the, minimum sale was 4,448 in 1863, and the maxi- 

 mum year was 1868, with 76,556 skins. The number 

 entered in their catalogue in 1902 is 5,701, and in 1903, 

 9,031. 



