War On The Mountain Lion

Mountain Hons, owing to their ferocity and great numbcrs, must be considered the most daugerous and most destructiva wild anim&l we have, writes a Fort Keogh (Montana) corres]Kmdent of Tht PhVadelphiu Times. So bold have they become of late that cattlemen and the territorial authoritles too 'úave been compelled to give atteutiou to the ravages committcd by these beasts among the floeks and herds. A lively war of extermiuation has been going on against thetn ior some time. Tbc territory offers a premium of $8 on every scalp brought in to be punebed, and some of the eounties add to the induecment by offerius; on tbeir own accounts a uioe little suai in additiuual to the territoria] bounty. The cowboys, witu lots of spare time on their hands duriug the wiuter iaouths, galn a baudsome largess ior themselves (not to speak of the fuu and sport they have) by hunting and killiog mountain lioun from November toMarch. The cow-puueher, with an eye to business, first draws ou the territorial treasurer for $8; he then hands a bilí to the county for soincthing more, and flnally sells the hide to a furrier for wliat it is worth. There were 144 tnonntain Iions killed and paid for in Montana iu 1&S4; 161 in 1SS5, for which $1,288 carne óut of the territorial treasury, and this yuar the figures promise to run up to 200 or tbereabout. Moontun Hons in tbls seetiou attaiu a prodigious size. Specimens are ofteu killed measnrlnjrO feet from tip ti tip and welghlng not fur from 2T0 to 300 pouuds. Many more measurlng from ten to eleven íeet are frequently bairgcd, and occasiotially a monster rcacbing twelve feet in the clear and jHThaps louüer is bröuebt down by some hickv and aaring hunter. Tbe hldc of tliis animal makf an excellent rug. Bcarcely :i raneb in the whole Rocky mouutuin región i without a niouutain lion skin on the iloor. One cattle ranch on Powder river lias every room in the house carpeted with handsome skins of this animal. The hldfl is a biigbt brown ou the back and rump, but fadea away luto a soft white brown toward the sides. aud bceomi'S almost a pure white onder tbr belly, The tail is tipped w ith white, and tbe beÁd, epes, ears, nose, and features are an exact; reprouuction of tbe domestlG cat ou a lai'er scale. The feet aud claws are also like thbse of ''Tom and Maria."