162 



THE CANADIAN SPORTSMAN AND NATURALIST. 



it near Lucknow, and I had the pleasure of 

 receiving it from him. They (the old ones) 

 are very shy during the breeding season, after 

 constructing a bed in a hollow log or some 

 secluded place. On one occasion, in July, 

 many years ago, I was in Turn berry Swamp 

 looking for pigeons. I had a dog wandering 

 about with me, and he gave tongue at some 

 distance; it was near sun?et and I hurried 

 towards the place, thinking he had attacked a 

 Porcupine. On arriving where the dog was, I 

 saw a large Lynx and two young ones (kittens) 

 which on my approach, entered a hole at the 

 base of an elm tree, before I could cover them 

 with my rifle. The old one made frantic 

 charges at the dog which I called away from 

 the contest, and after T closed the hole with 

 fallen limbs, to keep the party secure, I went 

 home. Early next morning in company with 

 a neighbour, the place was visited, but to our 

 astonishment a hole was opened in another 

 place at the base of the tree, and the Lynx and 

 kittens gone. I give a short account of the 

 skulls of L. rufus sent to you for inspection, 

 all of which were killed within a few miles of 

 this place. — - 



No. 1 — Adult male, shot by me in January, 

 1879. Length 49£ inches. Weight 68J lbs. 

 This was one of the largest I met with, and 

 am, sorry to have lost the skin. 

 - No. 2 — A female. I presume three years 

 old. Weight 58 lbs; Length 48 inches. Shot 

 February 28, 1882, by Mr. Alfred Haldingby 

 of Culross Township, Ont. In this instance 

 also I lost a very fine specimen. 



No. 3 - Young female trapped and shot in 

 the head by Mr. Sutherland Taylor, 1878, in 

 Wawanosh Township, 0. Length 38 inches ; 

 Weight 30 lbs. 



No. 4 — A young male, shot by Jos. Hender- 

 son of Lucknow, 0., who gave me the animal 

 fresh. Length 38 inches ; Weight 25 lbs. 



No. 5 — Young male, shot by myself, on 

 December 1, 1881, in Ashfield Township. 

 Weight 27 lbs. Length 37J inches. 



In the last three the symphasis. and the 

 sutures are not solidified. They are therefore 

 the skulls of young L. rufus. 



I sincerely hope this may draw forth the 

 opinions of others on the Lynx forms occurr- 

 ing in Canada, I trust moreover that a valu- 

 able periodical like " The Canadian Sportsman 

 and Naturalist" will soon have means to 

 illustrate subjects of this description. 



J. H. Garnier, M.D. 

 Lucknow, Ont. 



Note. — We have received the specimens 

 sent for examination. The adult skin and 

 the stuffed kitten are specifically L. rufus. 

 The whole of the skulls belong to the latter 

 species. Our correspondent quotes Jordan's 

 Manuel of Vertebrates to distinguish between 

 L. Canadensis and L. rufus which compara- 

 tively we consider very vague. Independent 

 of the permanent marks and general colour of 

 L. rufus, when the Dr. has an opportunity of 

 comparing L. Canadensis, he will discover 

 that the latter is a true and well defined 

 species. It is futile to deny the occurrence of 

 the two species in Ontario. Without giving 

 the osteology of the animals, we may state 

 positively that they are not alike. First in an 

 exterior view, we notice that the marks behind 

 the ears of the kitten of L. rufus, are perma- 

 nent in the adult. The Dr. has overlooked 

 these evident specific marks which do not 

 occur in L. Canadensis. A frigid climate 

 will doubtless alter the exterior markings 

 or colour of animals unused to a low tempera- 

 ture. We know that a coolie dog when taken 

 from Scotland to an Arctic region, there to 

 remain for three years, causes the animal to 

 erect its ears and change colour but the osseus 

 parts are still those of a coolie. Exposure to 

 a frigid pressure is even remarkable in the 

 human form, when subjected to the same 

 influence. We have no space to go further at 

 present, but in the meantime the subject eau 

 be looked into by our readers who may give 

 additional light on it. — C. 



RARE BIRDS IN ONTARIO. 



Sib, — Having read with much pleasure, in 

 your valuable journal, accounts of other 

 collector's experiences in the Ornithology of 

 our country, the thought struck me that some 

 of my notes might be acceptable to you. 

 During this Spring, from 8th April until 23rd 

 June, I, in company with my assistant, were 

 collecting at Mitchell's Bay, and adjacent 

 marshes, where we preserved over one thou-' 

 sand four hundred specimens of birds, fish, 

 reptiles and birds eggs ; but the bird that 



