FKLIS CONCOLOR. -^3 



is only limited by the confines of the Adirondacks. They are, indeed, 

 famous travellers, and when not hunting, roam far and wide, following 

 the highest ridges of the Wilderness, and finding their path along the 

 steepest and most inaccessible ledges. During the winter of 1877-78 

 J. W. Shultz killed one near Lake Terror that he, in company with 

 E. L. Sheppard, had followed over the summit of Lake Terror Moun- 

 tain. They sometimes make use of trees to aid in the ascent and 

 descent of steep rocky cliffs, and generally take refuge in a spruce or 

 hemlock when pursued by dogs ; but under no other circumstances 

 do any but the young sporting kittens ever climb trees. 



Panthers are hunted during the deep snows of winter, when the 

 hunter, on snow-shoes, makes wide circuits in various directions till 

 he finds a track. This he follows, leading the dogs, till he comes to 

 the carcass of a deer which the Panther has recently killed and 

 partially devoured. Knowing that the animal is not far off he now 

 " lets loose " the dogs, and as a rule the cowardly beast is soon 

 " treed " and shot. Out of the twenty-eight Panthers in the killing 

 of which Mr. Sheppard was concerned, four refused to " tree," and 

 were shot while on the ground. When attacked they never spring 

 after the dogs, but merely act on the defensive. When a dog makes 

 bold to come too near he receives such an enerq-etic " cuff" from the 

 Panther's paw that he rarely solicits another. 



Though possessed of great strength and power, and naturally quick 

 in his movements, the Panther is a positive coward. For all that, 

 when seriously wounded, without being entirely crippled, all his 

 latent ferocity is aroused, and he rushes fiercely at his assailants. 

 But even at such times, when in an attitude of supreme anger and 

 rage, and while lashing the snow impetuously with his long tail, any- 

 thing thrust into his open mouth serves to divert his wrath from the 

 enemy to his weapon. Thus on two occasions, once with an axe, 

 and once with the muz/le of his gun, has Mr. Sheppard saved himself 

 and his dogs from mutilation, if not from a horrible death. 



The hunter commonly follows a Panther for many days, and some- 



