Feline Animals of the Regio?i. 59 



According to Dekay,* the PUMA does not probably range 

 further north than New York ; but it may just be possible that 

 now and then an individual strays into the forests of this region . 

 I have a record made by the late Dr. Robb, Professor of 

 Natural History in the University of New Brunswick, of a 

 large feline animal having attacked and nearly killed a man 

 near the capital of the province in 1841, and he further states 

 having seen the skin of a puma from the vicinity of Quebec. 

 The ferocity and cunning of the glutton has made it famous 

 in more southern regions, but the animal is unknown within 

 our boundaries. 



The Lynx is still plentiful, and the Wild Cat (Z. rufus) 

 is not uncommon, but under the latter are included numerous 

 domesticated varieties, which, when abandoned on the breaking 

 up of the log camps and such-like, betake themselves to the feral 

 life, and are frequently captured in traps set for sable and 

 mink ; and as the fur partakes of the richness of the wild felinae, 

 jet black sorts especially are valuable. It may be, moreover, 

 that crosses take place between the wild and tame animal. 



The American Sable or Pine Marten is considered by 

 certain authorities to be only a variety of the Russian sable, 

 whilst others maintain specific distinctions. In dimensions, 

 length of tail, coloration, and quality, or rather quantity of the 

 fur, they assimilate pretty closely, only the density of the pile 

 is most assuredly in favour of the Old World animal, as shown 

 by their marketable values. But this difference is no doubt 

 owing to climate, as the varieties in colouring are common to 

 the denizens of both continents. The two sorts of skins 

 familiarly known to Canadian trappers as the hard and soft 

 wood sables, are so pronounced that dealers make distinctions 

 in their prices.f 



* "Natural History of New York." 



t The hard wood or light coloured skin usually fetch two dollars, while 

 that of the dark or soft wood sable varies from two and a half to three 

 dollars and upwards. 



