152 
WILD AMERICANS 
“Does she nurse them, the way my cat nurses her 
babies? I mean, feed them milk, and wash their faces, 
and smooth their fur and all ? 11 
“Yes, indeed! Wild mothers are no less devoted 
than tame ones, until the babies are able to fend for 
themselves. The wild kittens soon learn to hunt for 
their own food. These animals are meat eaters. They 
catch squirrels and rabbits, field mice, a few birds, 
and such small game. They are skilled at stalking, 
as all cats are; they can move so silently that the 
smaller animal doesn't know danger is near until too 
late . 11 
“Do these animals ever grow any larger, Uncle 
Ely? I mean, as large as the mountain lion we 
caught ? 11 Buck remembered the adventure of the lion 
hunt. 
“No, not that large. Both the lynx and the moun¬ 
tain lion are members of the cat family, and so are 
closely related, but the lion is much larger. The big¬ 
gest lynx I ever heard of was killed by President 
Theodore Roosevelt. It weighed thirty-nine pounds. 
I imagine they grow a little larger sometimes, but 
most of them weigh approximately twenty pounds. 
They are about the sise of a small dog . 11 
“Um , 11 murmured Buck. Suddenly the boy was 
