THE PARDINE LYNX.[55]
This animal takes the place of the common kind in Southern Europe, being especially abundant in Spain, where its range just overlaps that of its relative.
It is somewhat smaller than the Common Lynx—not more than thirty-two inches long. Its skin is of a beautiful rufous tint, regularly spotted with black, the spots extending over the tail, and the red colour merging into white on the under surface.
This species (see figure, p. 73) replaces the European variety in North America, where it is especially abundant in the Rocky Mountains and in Canada.
It is about the same size as the Common Lynx. Its fur is shorter but thicker. The hairs on the back are darker, the points being ringed with grey and brown; those of the flanks are grey at the root, reddish-white at the extremity. It has the reputation of being a very lazy beast, and far less ferocious and more cowardly than its cousins of the Old World.
The Red Lynx is found in the United States, from the Pacific to the Atlantic. It differs but little in structure or habit from the species we have already described.
Its skin, as well as that of the Canadian kind, is a very important article of commerce.
This is the handsomest of the Lynxes (see figure on previous page), both on account of its elegant shape, and of its fine colour, which is a uniform reddish-brown or light chestnut, unspotted or very sparsely spotted in the adult, but showing distinct spots in the young. It is found in India, Persia, Arabia, and Tibet, and also throughout Africa. Its length varies from twenty-six to thirty inches, the tail measures nine or ten, and the height sixteen or eighteen inches. The ears are fully three inches long, black externally, white within, with a long dark ear-tuft.
Unlike the other Lynxes, the Caracal is made use of as a hunting animal, being occasionally trained to stalk the Peafowl, Hares, Kites, Crows, Cranes, &c. It is, however, a most savage animal in captivity. The specimen in the London Zoological Gardens seems to be in a permanent state of ill-temper. If the American Lynx, which is unfortunate enough to live in the same cage with him, dares to come “betwixt the wind and his nobility,” or even if he, in the course of his peregrinations, should by chance get sufficiently near his companion to be annoyed with the sight of so vulgar a beast, he immediately arches his back, lays back his ears, uncovers his great canines, and swears in the most fearful manner, until the other unlucky animal is quite cowed, and looks as meek as its feline nature will allow it, evidently deprecating the anger of my lord, and although not conscious of having done wrong, quite ready to promise faithfully never to do it again.