THE species of lynx found in forests in the United States is the red or bay lynx. Its popular name is wild cat, but it is a true lynx, with the ear tufts characteristic of that group, and differs from the other members of it principally in the color of its fur. It is a resident of every part of the United States from ocean to ocean. The general color is usually red, but darker, and sometimes nearly black along the backbone, while under the body it is whitish and on the breast pure white. The entire fur, except the breast, is covered with spots and streaks of darker fur. The length of the body and head is about fifty-three inches and the tail is six inches long. The color of the fur is of a brighter red in summer and a darker brownish-red in winter. Different writers have classified several species of the American lynx, including the Texas lynx, which is found in Texas, and southern California; the Oregon lynx, which inhabits northern Oregon and Washington. There is also a Florida lynx. It is believed there is not much justification for these divisions, which Brehm says are based principally upon the different markings of the fur, and that in a general way it may be said that the specimens obtained from southern climates have shorter fur, which is more brightly colored and more distinctly spotted than those from the northern regions; but otherwise these animals do not differ in their habits and characteristics, which are those of the lynx group in general.

The natural home of the wild cat is a dense forest abounding in deep thickets and game. It rarely seeks sparsely wooded sections. Sometimes it will hunt the hare even on the plain, and a prairie fire will drive it to the neighborhood of settlements. It is capable of great endurance in walking, can leap an astonishing distance, climbs well, and is said to be a good swimmer. Its sense of hearing is very acute, and its sight keen. It is a night prowler, hiding at the dawn of day, and remaining still until evening. The wild cat selects for its lair a deep thicket, a cavern, or hole in a tree trunk.

As the shades of evening fall, says Brehm, it becomes active. During the day it seems as rigid as a statue, but at night it sets out, and on the first part of its journey makes frequent pauses, like those made by the domestic cat previous to entering an enclosure that appears to threaten danger. Only a very inexperienced person could mistake the spoor of the lynx for that of any other animal. The imprint is very deep owing to the strength of the paw, which exceeds that of a large wolf. It is very round and, as the claws are hidden, it is blunt in front. The pace is short compared with the size of the imprints made. The spoor takes a form something like that of a row of pearls; any one who has once seen it is sure to recognize it again.

The wild cat seems clumsy; its body is heavy, but it possesses the agility of its kind and surpasses them in rapidity of movement and endurance. Almost all animals and birds are its prey, although only the strongest lynx will attack deer. In temperate climates it is detested by the farmer and sportsman as it kills more than it needs, for its sustenance, often merely lapping the blood of its victim, and eating only the choicest portions. In the south it will not return a second time to this food, but in the north, where game is scarce, it always returns, remaining near the carcass until it is all eaten.

The wild cat has been tamed but it has not been found to be a very attractive animal to handle when angry. Loewis gives the following report of a female that he kept. He says: "A few months sufficed to teach my young lynx her name, 'Lucy.' When, during a hunting expedition, I would call out this name, together with those of numerous dogs, she would always respond to her own name, but to no other. Her training had been very easy and had reached such a point that when she was ,engaged in a passionate, but forbidden chase of hares, sheep, or poultry, and I called her, she would stop instantly and return, like a guilty dog, crouching low on the ground and pleading for mercy. When she was too far away to hear our voices, the report of a gun was sufficient to call her back in breathless haste.