90 
U. S. P. R. R, EXP. AND SURVEYS-ZOOLOGY-GENERAL REPORT. 
LYNX RUFUS. 
American Wild Cat. 
Felis rvffa, Guldenstaedt, Nov. Comm. Petrop, XX, 1776, 499. 
Fells rufa, Schreber, Saugt. III. 1778, 412; pi. cix A ( Rothluchs in text). 
Shaw, Gen. Zool. I, 1800, 373, (from Pennant.) 
Desm. Mam. I, 1820, 225. 
Harlan, F. Am. 1825, 99. 
Temm. Mon. Mamm. I. 1827, 141. 
Smith, in Griff. Cuv. V, 1827, 150. 
F. Cuv. Suppl. Buff. I, Mamm. 1831, 463. 
Wagner, Suppl. Schreb. II, 1841. 
Lynx rwfus, Raf. Am. Month. Mag. II, 1817, 46. 
Aud. & Bach. N. A. Quad. I, 1849, 2; pi. i. 
Lyncus rufus, Dekay, N. Y. Zool. I, 1842, 51; pi. x, f. 1. 
Lynx montanus, Raf. Am. Month. Mag. II, 1817, 46, (Catskills.) 
Felis montanus, Harlan, F. A. 1825, 101. 
Leconte, Pr. A. N. Sc. Ph. VII, Jan. 1854, 9. 
Lynx Jloridanus, Raf. Am. Month. Mag. II, 1817, 46. 
Bay Cat, Penn. Syn. 1771, 188; pi. xix, f. 1.— Ib. Hist. Quad. 1781, no. 171; Arctic Zool. I, 1784, 51. 
Mountain Cat. Penn. Hist. Quad. 1781, no. 168 .—Ib. Arctic Zool. I, 1784, 51. 
? Lynx, Penn. Hist. Quad. 1781, no. 170.— Ib. Arctic Zool. I, 1784, 50. 
Sp. Ch. —Fur moderately full and soft. Above and on sides pale rufous, overlaid with grayish; the latter color most preva¬ 
lent in winter. A few obsolete dark spots on the sides and indistinct longitudinal lines along the middle of the back. Collar 
on the throat like sides, but much paler. Beneath, white spotted. Inside of fore and hind legs banded. Tail with a small 
black patch above at the end, with indistinct subterminal half rings. Inner surface of ear black, with a white patch. 
Winter dress. —Yellowish ash, with a rufous tinge ; the soft woolly hair yellowish at hase, 
then light hrown ; the terminal and longest portion pale chestnut brown. The long stiff hairs 
are annulated with black and grayish white, the latter color being broadly subterminal and 
causing the general tinge of the outer plumage. Nearly all these hairs are, however, tipped 
more or less with black. Scattered through the color of the hack and sides, as indicated, are 
some very indistinct blotches of dusky ; while along the middle of the hack are some equally 
obsolete short lines of the same. The outside of the limbs is like the hack, with the blotches, 
however, rather more distinct. The under parts are yellowish white, with a slight tinge of 
pale chestnut across the throat; the belly is blotched rather largely with dark brown, while the 
insides of the legs are transversely barred at their upper part with the same. There are a good 
many indistinct longitudinal narrow lines of dusky on the crown ; more distinct lines pass 
through the series of whiskers, and others commencing under the eye extend backwards on the 
cheeks, widening and more distinct in the ruff. The ears are black, externally, with a large 
central patch of grayish white. The tail is white beneath, and at the extreme tip ; above, it is 
like the hack, with a square black patch at the end, and several transverse narrow bars of the 
same. The square black patch at the tip is quite limited, not amounting to more than three 
quarters of an inch in either dimension. 
In summer the grayish tips to the hairs are less distinct, and a more reddish tint is then 
evident. The fur is also shorter and thinner. 
These specimens agree very well with each other, the fur of 169 being much softer than the 
rest, hut still inferior to that of Lynx fasciatus. Specimens from California differ in some points 
as follows: 
VWV> Bodega, Cal. $. Hair coarser, stiffer, rather shorter ; larger part of hack darker, and 
brownish rusty ; sides gray ; line of demarcation distinct. In No. 245 colors more blended. 
