Dallas Herald

You will not believe it when I tell you that I have twice chased a Mexican Lion in the Trinity bottom, not more than three miles from Dallas, in the last two months. Both times it was seen in full view in the open prairie, and has been seen once beside. On yesterday, just below the Cedar Springs ford, having my bull dog with me, I gave it a very close chase; one of my hounds coming off minus a considerable portion of one of his ears.

This is a strange animal, and resembles a lion more than any other. It, of course, is not as large as the African lion, but we have many evidences that it is not a panther. Its form is not that of the panther, but of the lion: it will not tree, when pressed by dogs, as the panther; the extraordinary chest and muscular power of the shoulders and length of the tail is a subject of remark by all who have seen it. I have no doubt but it is a species of the lion. It is very fleet, and as cunning as a fox. First chased it about four miles below Dallas, on the south side of the river. We have hunted for it since without success; but on yesterday I came on it again by accident, above Dallas, on the same side of the river. Both times I have chased it, it bore up the bottom; and I left it between Capt. Coombs's team mill and the Cedar Springs ford. Let sportsmen look out, it is a curiosity and worth hunting.

Yours, &c.,
J. M. C.

We have no reason to doubt the statement of our correspondent. An animal of the kind described certainly frequents our river bottoms. Several of them have been seen at different times from the first settlement of the country to the present. Another gentleman informs us that he got within about 30 feet of this same animal, some ten days ago, in a small prairie in the river bottom; and attempted to kill it, but his rifle snapped once, and the second time merely bursting the cap, at which the "varmint" took fright and made for the timber. He represents it as being a pale, yellow color, with a long flowing mane, a bunch of hair on the end of his tail, and very large. A large one was killed by Lieut. Givens, of the U. S. army, near Fort Belknap, some eighteen months ago. It measured, if we remember right, upwards of nine feet from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail. This animal is unquestionably the Puma of naturalists, or the Felis concolor of the warmer climates of America, which belongs to the genus Felis, or cat family. We apprehend that our correspondent is mistaken in supposing that this animal will not "tree" when pressed. The one killed by Lieut. Givens was treed by his dogs and kept there until he rode several miles for a gun.