1867.] 
AMERICAN 
JULTURIST. 
03 
The Canada Lynx.— (Lynx Canadensis) 
a 
1 This peculiar cat-like animal was once com- 
mon during severe winters in all the Northern 
States. And, probably on account of the 
scarcity of pre}' in the forests of Canada, which 
are its congenial haunts, single individuals are 
now occasionally shot; but it is very timid, 
avoiding men and 
preying only upon 
birds and small, or 
defenceless animals. 
The resemblance be- 
tween it and the 
"Wild-cat or Bay 
Lynx, (Lynx rufus), 
is quite striking, but 
it is much larger 
and of different hab- 
its. The Canada -,;-— -g 
Lynx is about 3 feet =5| 
long to the tail,which 
is scarcely 6 inches 
long and much con- 
cealed in fur. The 
head is cat-like, and 
the ears are large, 
triangular and tip- 
ped with a tuft of 
coarse black hairs. 
The general color is 
clouded gray, some- 
what reddish and 
wavy on the back and 
sides, and of a lighter 
gray on the belly. The legs are robust, and the 
feet immensely large, appearing especially so in 
winter when covered with long fur. The track 
in the snow being about 9 inches long — almost 
like that of a bear. The long, dense, fine fur is 
in catching its prey, but, on the whole, has lit- 
tle cunning or sagacity. This is especially 
evinced by the blundering way in which it falls 
into traps, or is caught under " dead falls," 
which are logs, or blocks of stone or ice, sup- 
ported by a " figure 4," or other trip, and which 
fall, when the trip or trigger is touched, killing 
by their weight any animal caught beneath them. 
much prized, and for this the Lynx is hunted, 
being trapped with ease in the almost inaccessi- 
ble solitudes in which it abounds. The creature 
is a great coward, 
never attacks men, 
and when cornered 
does not make a 
hard fight, if any, 
and is easily killed. 
Its large and softly 
padded feet present 
so much surface 
that even a very 
slight crust upon the 
snow supports il, 
and it is thus en- 
abled to follow suc- 
cessfully those ani- 
mals whose progress 
Is impeded by snow. 
When small game 
becomes scarce, it 
occasionally attacks 
deer, and, owing 
In the same cause, 
sometimes il is driv- 
en by hunger to the 
vicinity of human 
habitations, and the 
sheep, pigs, and <, 
calves fall victims to its rapacity. There is 
no reason to suppose that lynxes have acuter 
vision than many other animals of the feline 
family. They have large eyes, capable, like those 
of the common cat, of great contraction and 
expansion of the pupils, so that they can use 
them well in the full glare of the sun upou the 
snow, and in dark nights also. The auimal 
swims and climbs well, exhibits some strategy 
CANADA ltnx (Lynx Canadensis.) 
Our artist has presented us also the picture of 
the European Lynx, (the Felis Lynx of Linnseus). 
It is an animal of the same genus, and so close- 
ly resembles our Lynx that Linnfeus regarded', 
both as of the same species. It ranges over the 
cold parts of Europe and Asia, and we know no 
reason why it should not also extend across 
Behrings Straits into North America. Its habits 
EUROPEAN LYNX. 
are much like the Canada Lynx, and its color 
similar, but perhaps a little more inclined to red- 
dish-brown, and more brightly marked. Both 
have a peculiar galloping ruu when in -open 
ground, shown in the engraving of the Canada 
Lynx, and when confined exhibit a surly, snarly 
and utterly unfrieudly disposition. It has few 
enemies, (besides man), and multiplies fast, 
though the females have but 2 young a year. 
Tim Bunker on Horse-Racing at Fairs. 
31k. Editor — You will recollect that I had 
my say on this subject some years ago, when the 
thing was first started. I worked about as hard 
as any body to get our County Agricultural So- 
ciety agoing. It cost me a year's labor riding, 
walking, writing, and elbowing folks around 
before I could get 
'em waked up to it. 
E avT '"^te Some folks are made 
all breechin, and it 
takes a locomotive 
to^get 'em started. 
And when I got the 
lhing*"on it's legs, H 
hated to see it start 
off in the wrong di- 
rection. We had 
grand fairs^for a few 
years, before the 
horse fever struck 
on. Every kind of 
stock was brought 
out, and there was 
no end to the show 
of vegetables, fruits, 
farm products, and 
home manufactures. 
We had sometimes 
ten thousand people 
out to see the show, 
and we made money 
enough to get up 
buildings, and have 
first-rate accommodations upon the grounds 
for exhibitors. Then the 3'oung folks thought 
they knew everything, and nothing would satisfy 
'em but fancy horses and racing. I opposed it 
then, and have been dead set agin it ever since. 
I shouldn't have said anything more about it 
now, if the thing hadn't a come up at the last 
meeting of our County Society, when we was ar- 
ranging for the faii- 
next fall. You see 
the horse has been 
gaining all the while 
since he got on the 
track, until more 
premiums were of- 
fered for fast horses 
than for everything 
else. Of course folks 
who had nothing but 
fine cattle, fruits, or 
vegetables to show, 
did not care to come 
to a fair where ev- 
erybody was horse 
crazy, and would'nt 
see anything else, if 
it was as bright as 
the sun in the heav- 
ens. You see a good 
many of 'em had got 
disgusted with rac- 
ing, when they saw- 
it was ruining every- 
thing else, and spoil- 
ing our fairs. The 
last two or three 3'ears they have been pretty 
slim, and might as well have been called horse 
races. Jockeys and gamblers took possession 
of the track, and had everything their own way. 
As soon as we got together, I see we were go- 
ing to have a pretty tight on the horse question. 
All the horse men were there, with Cicero Smith . 
at their head, and the old fogies were around 
pretty thick also. Cicero Smith is the sou of 
