CARNIVORA. FELID^. 35 



ceding. It varies somewhat in color ; some individuals are more 

 gray than others, though not so much so as to conceal the general 

 fulvous aspect. This species is easily distinguished from the pre- 

 ceding by the shorter pencils of hair upon the ear, and by the 

 nakedness of the balls of the toes. This last character, it ap- 

 pears to me, is sufficiently important in the borealis, to constitute 

 it a genus by itself. The tail is longer in proportion in the rufus 

 than in the borealis, so that it is scarcely possible to confound the 

 two. It resides in wooded and rocky districts, at a distance from 

 habitations, or the resorts of men ; it lives on squirrels, birds, 

 hares, &c. ; it is also very injurious to sheep-folds. It is still 

 found in the mountainous districts of this State, particularly in 

 Middlefield, Chester, Russel, and Blandford. The animal, like 

 most of the feline race, is nocturnal in its habits, and is hence 

 rarely exposed to observation in the day time. 



Genus Felis. 



Generic characters. Dental system ; incisors |- ; canines ~t > 

 molars -£=f ; = 30. Five toes on the fore feet ; hind feet tetra- 

 dactyle ; ears long, erect ; tail long. 



1. Felis concolor. Lin. The Puma, or American Lion. 



Felis concolor, Harlan, Fauna, p. 94. 

 The Cougar, Godman, Nat. Hist. i. p. 291. 

 Figure; Ibid., p. 291. 



Specific characters. Color uniformly dun or fulvous ; beneath 

 paler ; tail long, extremity dark-brown in the male ; ears rather 

 rounded and prominent ; limbs thick and stout. 



Description. The color of the Puma is remarkably uniform at 

 all seasons of the year. Head rather long ; ears light-colored 

 inside, but blackish posteriorly ; face whitish about the internal 

 angles of the eyes, upper lips, chin, and the angles of the jaw ; 

 hair of the whole body thick and short ; tail of the male longer 

 than the female, and darker brown at the extremity. 



Dimensions. 



ft. in. t'tln. 



Whole length of one of the largest individuals, . .940 



Tail of a female, . . . . . . 19 



" " male, . . . . . .230 



Length of the ear, . . ■ . 2 



