1188 General Notes. [November, 
HABITS OF THE PANTHER IN CALIFORNIA.—It is difficult to 
acquire much knowledge of the habits of panthers in their 
wild state. There are some peculiarities about the McCloud 
River panthers, however, which have been noticed. They will 
always run from a dog no matter how small he is. An under- 
sized terrier is as good to chase a panther with as the largest 
hound. When the panther finds that the dog is closing upon 
him, he will always jump up into a tree. He will not climb the 
tree like a bear, but will jump up into one of the branches, and! 
have heard old hunters say that they had seen panthers jump 
over twenty feet of perpendicular height into a tree. One blow 
of the panther’s paw would kill the dog perhaps, but the panther 
never stops to give the blow. It is quite possible that the pan- 
ther jumps into the tree so as to be in a position to pounce upon 
the dog when he comes up, but whether this is their reason for 
resorting to a tree, or whether it is simply because it 1s the cat's 
nature to run, as it is the nature of the dog to chase, it is the fact 
in either case that the panther always runs from the dog, no mat- 
ter how small he is, and never turns to face him. — 
The behavior of the panther is no less peculiar after he has | 
jumped into the tree, for when there he watches the dog cor o 
stantly, no matter how near the hunter comes up to him. This 
makes it a comparatively safe and easy thing for the hunter to 
shoot a treed panther if the hunter has a dog with him, 
while the panther’s eyes are fixed on the barking and cme 
dog, the hunter can go as near as he pleases, and take w m 
and deliberate aim as he pleases. As long as the dog o 
barking under the tree and absorbing the panther’s attention S5 
hunter is perfectly safe. All he has to guard against 1s wou n 
the panther without killing or wholly disabling him, p w 
case the victim might, in his dying struggle, encounter thè Ti 
ter and do him a serious injury. It is be 
Panthers are seldom seen roaming about by day. á ytime, 
lieved that they are in the habit of hiding in trees 1n the er 
partly perhaps for safety and partly for the purpose | 
for food. On the McCloud river, however, I believe 
the day, for the most part, in the inaccessible parts 
stone cliffs which cap the mountain summits across 
the fishery. These limestone cliffs and pinnacles are 
and very difficult of access. One day I pet a pan 
é : 
