28 



THE CANADIAN SPORTSMAN AND NATURALIST. 



the European Sparrow does not occur in St. 

 John, and that the season " has not been con- 

 sidered by any means severe," we believe him. 

 The Barred Owl, however, visited several 

 Canadian cities during the early part of the 

 winter, and they were seen killing House Spar- 

 rows in the city of Montreal. We advance 

 three reasons in order to account lor the 

 unusual occurrence of Strigid^e in cities. 1st. 

 It may have been a prolific year, commonly 

 called a "metropolis year" of the species. 

 2nd. The severe weather in the northern wood- 

 lands would probably prevent an extraordinary 

 number of the birds from obtaining food. 3rd. 

 The introduction of the Domestic Sparrow 

 having induced other rapacious birds, such as 

 the Shrike, &c, to remain with us during 

 winter, leads to the supposition thatFALCONiDvE 

 and Strigid^e would visit the cities to have 

 their share of the importation. We are at a 

 loss to account for the occurrence of the 

 Barred Owl in such numbers in the city of St. 

 John. It occurs to us that a prolific year and 

 want of winter food of those bred on the North- 

 ern coast of the Lower St. Lawrence, would 

 cause them to make theirfiight to more south- 

 ern localities, consequently crossing the range 

 ot the latter city. — Ed. 



RARA FELIS. 



There was trapped last week in the Town- 

 ship.of Dummer, within a few miles of the 

 Town of Peterboro', a very rare animal — rare, 

 at least, as far as this County, or perhaps, I 

 may say as far as this Provivce, is concerned, 

 viz : a red Lynx. It is a male, and judging 

 by its teeth, at least six or seven years old. 

 Its measurements are as follows : Length from 

 ears to insertion of tail, 30 inches ; height to 

 shoulder, 20 inches ; breadth of forehead 5 

 inches ; length of tail, 6jjr inches. Weight 

 30 lbs. The neck is immensely muscular, 

 but the eyes, claws, and teeth are not so large 

 as those of the Canadian Lynx, Felis Cana- 

 densis. The color is reddish fawn, mottled 

 with brown, with wavy stripes on the inside of 

 the legs; a dark stripe along the back ; tip of 

 tail black ; throat white ; with whitish spots 

 at back of either ear. The man on whose 



farm the animal was trapped, had noticed its 

 spoor, very different from the tracks of the 

 Canadian Lynx, for four or five years past, and 

 had shot at it last year, one of the buck-shot 

 being found in the body after it was killed. I 

 saw it soon after it was brought into town, as 

 well as after it had been flayed . It was in ex- 

 cellent condition, quite fat. It had recently 

 killed two sheep, and had probably lived dur- 

 ing the Avinter months on hares (Lejms Aineri- 

 canus) which abound in the neighborhood ; 

 occasionally, perhaps, varying its menu with 

 per&rix au naturel, or a stray squirrel or other 

 small rodents. 



Vincent Clementi. 

 Peterboro', March 24, 1881. 



Note. — The above is probably the Ameri- 

 can Wild Cat, Lynx rufus, an animal not 

 known to occur in the Province of Quebec. 

 About twenty years ago, it was more abundant 

 in Western Canada. We are sorry to learn that 

 this rare quadruped has been flayed, as the 

 specimen would be quite an acquisition to any 

 Canadian Museum. If the skull is not lost we 

 would be dad to examine it. — Ed. 



DEER'S HORNS, &c. 



Sir, — Thank you very much for being so 

 kind in answering my inquiries relative to my 

 Buck Heads. I am not, however, satisfied for 

 the following reasons : — I understand you to 

 say that no deer can be a Royal buck, but an 

 old animal. Now, being a Taxidermist, in my 

 practice, I have found five heads with the same 

 kind of horns, and I am fully satisfied that one 

 of them was not more than three and a half or 

 four years old. Then the ears are smaller and 

 broader between the eyes, than in Gervus Yir- 

 yinianus. Besides my buck has a slight eleva- 

 tion on the nose, at the juncture of the bone 

 and cartilage which I have never noticed in 

 C Virginianus. I wish to tender my thanks 

 for your insertion of the Ontario Game Laws ; 

 I feel satisfied that Ontario sportsmen will be 

 glad to see it. I notice that you mention a Gos- 

 Hawk having been shot at St. Laurent on the 

 28th Feb. On the 1 6th March, I received a very 

 handsome specimen which I have set up. The}' 

 are not plentiful here ; merely showing them- 

 selves occasionally. Can you tell me, has a 

 Hawk the power of reasoning? I sometimes 

 think they can reason to a certain extent. I 

 have a tame Soarrow Hawk which is in the 



