THE CANADIAN SPORTSMAN AND NATURALT81 





ekull, but this is not so. I shall be triad to 

 nave information of the anatomical <]ifl< 



that is notice! in the osseous developmenl and 

 structure of the cranium, to develop distinct 

 species. There is nothing in the descriptions 

 of Jordan to prove .anything specific, or thai 

 plight not be produced by a high northern hab- 

 itat. The greater quantity of fur on the feel 

 and longer body fur generally point to the 

 animal's geographical range. The dark spots 

 are, I consider, from the appearance ol the 

 Lynx m early life, and these will naturally fade 

 in a cold climate. They are carnivorous, but 

 the difference in quality of food in both species 

 must vary between Labrador and South On- 

 tario. Yet the size of mature forms appear 

 to be the same, and I aver having shot and 

 trapped L. rufus over sixty pounds. The 

 largest, [ can attest was sixty-eight and a-half 

 pounds ; others killed far in the interior of .the 

 bush, were certainly as heavy. J have seen 

 many much larger than the one killed by Mr. 

 Dusten, near Wallaceburgh— in fact, various 

 sizes above the kitten of a lew pounds weight, 

 — the latter are always distinctly marked with 

 spots. Lynx generally hunt in pairs at a con- 

 siderable, although convenient, distance apart, 

 m spaces between two hundred yards and half 

 a mile in order to head off' their quarry. When 

 in full cry, they give two quick yelps succes- 

 sively, followed by an unearthly scream while 

 running with great rapidity. " ] have often 

 heard them thus when the snow was two or 

 three feet deep, and as many as six of the 

 animals giving tongue in different directions. 

 An unpractised ear might easily mistake them 

 for the howls of a pack of wolves in full cry at 

 night, They may lie considered outlaws with 

 bears, skunks, wolverines, et hoc genus omni ; 

 are very destructive to fawns, rabbits, lambs 

 and poultsy; they also destroy numbers of 

 ruffed grouse on their nests, or in winter when 

 the birds are buried at night in the snow, and 

 I have seen the fatal traces on more than one 

 occasion, where a Lynx or a Fox thus secured 

 ii supper. I shall Lie happy to procure a true 

 Lynx Canadensis captured' anywhere iii On- 

 tario, especially in the Peninsula, taken any 

 time between the 1 5th of November and 12 til 

 of April. This will settle all disputes, and I 

 will pay a reasonable price and carriage with 

 pleasure. The spoor of the Red Lynx is huge 

 on snow, and although the led 'are not so 

 densely furred as its northern relative, the foot 

 impression of rufus on the snow looks large 

 and round in proportion to the size ol the feel 



of the animal in the dead utate. Ti 



fat at certain season, and tin 



Indians who pronounce them /. 



in ai maturity when 

 year. The Bpecimi i 

 -harp teeth and medium 

 together with the semi-rings on tin 

 disappearing; also the black n 

 parts ol body, which are much less in a 

 and are frequently altogether al 

 ated. It is easily trapped, nol I 

 nor has it thecunningof a Pox. When h 

 by man alone, or by the latter witl 

 the forest, it takes to a thicket, beirfg a nil 

 climber; cat-like, resting a short tiun 

 limb. The ears ore -harp, the lyn 

 sensitive, and when danger appn 

 springs from tree to tree like a squirrel, some- 

 times leaving its pursuers hundreds 

 behind. The old trapper or Indian understand 

 the feline (ricks ol the Lynx. I have fold 



and shot one that went nearly a qua 

 mile in this manner, hiding himself as a last 

 resource, in a dens.- hemlock tree, fortj 

 above the ground. This is simple work after 

 a fresh fall of snow. You have mere,', 

 mark carefully the firs! tree he mon 

 its base', yc u will notice hit* ol twigs, n 

 &c. on the fresh snow. As he spring* away, 

 he leaves additional marks which he tin 

 down in like manner, hut more scattered. K\ 

 following the debris a broad trail is visible. 

 Ii is with greater facility followed in a swamp, 

 than in open -round, because there i< generally 

 more broken material thrown down, and the 

 animal is easily detected. The Red Lynx 

 springs easily from sight to fifteen feet, perhaps 

 more. Once only during my hunting trip-. I 

 noticed a Lynx lake a long spring from In 

 tree. An Indian and myself chased it with 

 two dogs for over three miles. The aborigine 

 pointed the Lynx preparing to spring from a 

 branch ol a tree to another al least sixtj I 

 from the ground. The extremities of the 

 branches were three or four feel apart. The 

 animal did spring and certainly cleared sixteen 

 feet, Inn no more. Now, lei any one o\' your 

 leaders consider how far the space is in nod- 

 air, from that portion of a limb capable ^<( 

 supporting forty-five or titty pounds of live 

 Lynx throwing himself to an opposite branch 

 of similar Strength. Lei one con.-ider the 

 muscular force and accuracy of eve rejquired 

 by the animal lo reach the object k<\ escape. 

 The young L. rufus in mv opinion approai 

 Jordan's /.. Canadensis. Mr. Henderson found 



