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THE DRINKING HABITS OF WILD ANIMALS. 



BY 



Major R. G. Burton, Indian Army. 



A great deal of misconception appears to prevail regarding the 

 drinking habits of wild animals ; partly due, no doubt, to errors which 

 have crept into works on natural history, and have so been perpetu- 

 ated. It would be well if the truth on this subject could be cleared up 

 once and for all, and in this matter the evidence of observant sports- 

 men will be of the greatest value. Many old myths in natural 

 history have already been dissipated, as, for instance, that regarding 

 the length of tigers, of which we read in an old edition of Chambers' 

 Encyclopcedia—" The tiger is sometimes fifteen feet in entire 

 length to the tip of the tail ; an instance is on record of 

 eighteen feet. " We should like to see that eighteen footer ! Chalk 

 him out on a wall, with the rest of him in due proportion, and see 

 what he looks like ! 



But errors in a work of natural history are liable to be handed on, 

 and it is thus that many misconceptions are perpetuated. The 

 standard work on the natural history of the Game Animals of India 

 will undoubtedly be, for some time to come, Mr. Lydekker's book, of 

 which a new edition has recently been issued. Indeed, the accumu- 

 lated knowledge presented in this excellent work is so exhaustive, that 

 at first sight it would appear that there is nothing further to be said 

 on the subject. But Mr. Lydekker himself notes that there are 

 differences of opinion with regard to the drinking habits of wild 

 animals. Whether these differences of opinion really continue to 

 prevail among competent observers is a question that remains to be 

 decided. 



I will quote a few paragraphs from Mr. Lydekker's book before 

 proceeding to discuss the matter which forms the subject under 

 review. 



Of the sambar he says : — " Whether they require water every day 

 is still a question ; but it is well known that they are frequently in 

 the habit of travelling long distances in search of that element." 



With regard to the nilgai we are told : — " Nilgai can exist with 

 but a small supply of water, and it is probable that, in the cold season 



