Jimmy Polk, age 9, of White Plains, N.Y., for his question:

DOES THE WILDCAT LIVE IN AMERICA?

Wildcat is the name generally given to small, wild members of the cat family. True wildcats live only in Europe.

In America, several species of lynx are called wildcats. The lynxes have longer bodies, longer legs and shorter tails than domesticated cats and the wildcats found in Europe. They prowl at night. Their ears have tufts of fur on them and their coats vary in color and thickness.   The No rthe rn .spec i as  of  1 y nx   has  a long,  clear gray coat. The  southwestern species, often called the bobcat, has short, yellowish brown fur, covered with dark spots and other markings.

The Egyptian cat, a tropical species of wildcat, is believed to be an ancestor of the common house cat of today.

True wildcats are extremely vicious animals. They are a bit larger and a great deal stronger than our domestic cats. Their fur is yellowish with black streaks around the body, legs and tail.