THE CANADA LYNX. 



337 



Mr. Bob sits washing his face and paws, 

 like an ordinary cat. 



These negatives were taken with a 19 

 inch Goerz lens, with an exposure of 1/25 

 second, full aperture. 



This cat broke the record for weight, 



tipping the scales at ZZV\ pounds. The 

 normal weight of an ordinary wildcat is 

 about 19 pounds, though an occasional 

 one attains 25 pounds. The weight of this 

 one was probably due to lack of exercise, 

 though he did not appear excessively fat. 



THE CANADA LYNX. 



A. T. BICKFORD. 



It must be interesting to a student of 

 nature to observe the numerous provisions 

 made by the Creator to contro by natural 

 means the superabundance of any one spe- 

 cies of animal over another. Therefore we 

 find one carnivorous animal preying on 

 one of the same species to which he be- 

 longs as well as on the more harmless 

 herbivorous creatures. 



An instance of the above is the Canada 

 lynx. His special mission seems to be 

 the regulating of the increase of the small 

 bush rabbits, or hares, which in some sea- 

 sons are so numerous in our woods. 

 Wherever the hare is found there also is 

 the domain of the lynx, who steals upon 

 the timid hare in his seat underneath the 

 fallen log, or among the willows in the 

 thicket. The lynx also catches his prey 

 by pursuing it after a fresh fall of snow. 

 Then the hare, impeded by the loose snow, 

 is easily caught, as the snow is not so 

 much of an impediment to the lynx's 

 longer legs. 



It is a peculiar fact that hares, or bush 

 rabbits, increase in recurring periods of 

 years, reaching a climax in about 7 years, 

 when some disease appears among them 

 which reduces them from great numbers 

 to scarcity in a short time. The lynx also 

 increases during these years of plenty. On 

 the decrease of the rabbit he suddenly 

 finds himself pinched for food. At such 

 times, impelled by hunger, according to 

 the evidence of old trapper. 1 ? and hunters, 

 the lynx preys on his own species, the 

 weaker falling victims to the stronger. 

 Thus the lynx becomes in himself the reg- 

 ulator of the Humbers of his own species, 

 preserving the balance of Nature by the 

 performance of what seems to us an un- 

 natural act. 



The lynx is not, as one would imagine 

 from his looks, a dangerous animal to 

 man. He has a propensity for following 

 a wayfarer through the woods, but it is 



more from curiosity than from any notion 

 of attacking a human being. Moreover, 

 the lynx is not at all tenacious of life, dif- 

 fering in that respect from most animals of 

 the cat tribe. He is easily dispatched by 

 a blow on the nose or back, offering little 

 resistance when trapped. 



A common mode of capturing the lynx, 

 practiced by Indian and half breed trap- 

 pers, is to suspend a snare of stout cord 

 above a path, rabbit run or snowshoe track 

 in the woods, taking advantage of the 

 lynx's well known proclivity for following 

 a track. The lynx, with great simplicity, 

 works his head into the noose and strains 

 on the cord, which is fastened to a clog. 

 He thus strangles himself, making little 

 effort to escape or chew the cord. 



The lynx is also hunted with dogs. Not 

 being swift of foot, he tries to escape by 

 climbing a tree and is an easy mark for 

 the gun of the hunter. 



In size and shape the lynx is similar to 

 an Irish water spaniel, having legs appa- 

 rently too heavy for his body. His tail is 

 about 4 inches in length and is tipped with 

 black. His head much resembles a Mal- 

 tese cat's, a fringe of hair passing from 

 jaw to jaw; and his ears are tipped with 

 a few long black hairs. 



In color the lynx is yellowish gray, a 

 dark strip passing down the back, the sides 

 being spotted with black and the belly 

 white. A hide when stretched will meas- 

 ure 5 feet 6 inches from tip of nose to end 

 of hind foot. 



It is hard to say which would be likely 

 to be the aggressor in a conflict between 

 an eagle and a lynx, but I have seen unmis- 

 takable evidence in the snow that these 

 2 do engage in mortal combat. By the 

 lynx Lacks and the eagle feathers it was 

 easy to read that in this case the lynx had 

 come off victorious and had capped the cli- 

 max by making a meal off his late an- 

 tagonist. 



"Did you notice what a pleasant odor 

 there was in that book department?" 



"Yes. I presume it came from the spicy 

 literature." — London Tit-Bits. 



