FELIS CONCOLOR. 
is only limited by the confines of the Adirondack^. They are, indeed, 
famous travellers, and when not hunting, roam far and wide, following 
the highest ridges of the Wilderness, and finding their path along the 
steepest and most inaccessible ledges. During the winter of 1877-78 
J. W. Shultz killed one near Lake Terror that he, in company with 
E. L. Sheppard, had followed over the summit of Lake Terror Moun- 
tain. They sometimes make use of trees to aid in the ascent and 
descent of steep rocky cliffs, and generally take refuge in a spruce or 
hemlock when pursued by dogs ; but under no other circumstances 
do any but the young sporting kittens ever climb trees. 
Panthers are hunted during the deep snows of winter, when the 
hunter, on snow-shoes, makes wide circuits in various directions till 
he finds a track. This he follows, leading the dogs, till he comes to 
the carcass of a deer which the Panther has recently killed and 
partially devoured. Knowing that the animal is not far off he now 
“ lets loose ” the dogs, and as a rule the cowardly beast is soon 
“ treed ” and shot. Out of the twenty-eight Panthers in the killing 
of which Mr. Sheppard was concerned, four refused to “ tree," and 
were shot while on the ground. When attacked they never spring 
after the dogs, but merely act on the defensive. When a dog makes 
bold to come too near he receives such an energetic “ cuff" from the 
Panther’s paw that he rarely solicits another. 
Though possessed of great strength and power, and naturally quick 
in his movements, the Panther is a positive coward. For all that, 
when seriously wounded, without being entirely crippled, all his 
latent ferocity is aroused, and he rushes fiercely at his assailants. 
But even at such times, when in an attitude of supreme anger and 
rage, and while lashing the snow impetuously with his long tail, any- 
thing thrust into his open mouth serves to divert his wrath from the 
enemy to his weapon. Thus on two occasions, once with an axe, 
and once with the muzzle of his gun, has Mr. Sheppard saved himself 
and his dogs from mutilation, if not from a horrible death. 
The hunter commonly follows a Panther for many days, and some- 
