THE WILD CAT OR CATAMOUNT. 



545 



crease and decrease in numbers in the Northwest Territories of 

 Canada. The minimum number of skins obtained by the Hudson's 

 Bay Company in any one year was 4,448 in 1863 ; the maximum 

 was 76,556 in 1868. In 1903 this company obtained more than 

 9,000 skins. The animals are usually snared by the Indians, al- 

 though they are also caught in steel traps and hunted with dogs 

 and guns. The flesh is white and tender and much prized by the 

 natives. 



The young are born in these northern countries in June or July 

 and have the eyes partly open, but are helpless and are suckled 

 about two months l)y the mother. There are from two to five young 

 in a litter. 



r.YNX RUFFUS (Guoldenstaedt) . 

 BAY LYNX; WILD CAT; CATAMOUNT; BOB CAT. 



Felts ruff us Gueld., Novi Comme. Acad. Acient. Imp. Petropoli- 



tanae. Vol. 20, p. 484, 1776. 

 Lynx ruftis Evermann and Butler, Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci. for 



1893, p. 138. 



Diagnostic characters. — General color yellowish brown instead 

 of gray; proportions as given in the key. 



Description. — Color yellowish brown, with dark brown or black- 

 ish spots and streaks and a blackish line down the middle of the 

 back; belly white with dark spots; throat more or less brownish. 

 Feet small ; tail moderate ; ear tufts about one inch ; fur short and 

 dense, much as in the house cat. 



Measurements. — From Miller: Total length, 900 mm. (36 in.) ; 

 tail, 170 mm. (63/4 in.) ; hind foot, 180 mm. (71/8 in.) ; breadth of 

 front foot about 50 mm. (2 in.). 



Skull and teeth. — The skull is narrower than that of the Canada 

 lynx and of course smaller. 



Range. — From Georgia to Maine and west to the Rocky Moun- 

 tains. Closely related species are found to the south, north and 

 west, but all have been greatly reduced in numbers and extermi- 

 nated in much of their former range. 



Indiana records are as follows, the dates being the latest au- 

 thentic records I have been able to find for different parts of the 

 State, but not necessarily the date of extermination; New Har- 

 mony, not rare in 1833 (Wied) ; "Wheatland, January 10. 1900; 

 adult and two young killed near Montour's Pond in Knox County 

 in 1894 (Chansler). In Franklin County Dr. Raymond reports 

 them as occasionally seen, but rare in 1869, and Butler remarks 



[35] 



