180 MAMMALIA— TIGER. 



Happy is it for the rest of nature, that this animal is not common, and 

 that the species is chiefly confined to the warmest provinces of the East 

 The tiger is found in Malabar, in Siam, and in Bengal. 



When he has killed a large animal, such as a horse or a buffalo, he does 

 not choose to devour it on the spot, fearing to be disturbed ; and, in order to 

 feast at his ease, he carries off his prey to the forest, dragging it along with 

 such ease, that the swiftness of his motion seems scarcely retarded by the 

 enormous load he sustains. 



To give a still more complete idea of the strength of this terrible creature, 

 we shall quote a passage from Father Tachard, who was an eye-witness 

 of a combat of one tiger against two, and even three, elephants, at Siam. 

 For this purpose, the king ordered a lofty palisade to be built, of bamboo 

 cane, about a hundred feet square ; and in the midst of this were three 

 elephants, appointed for combating the tiger. Their heads, and part of 

 their trunks, were covered with a kind of armor like a mask, which defend- 

 ed that part from the assaults of the fierce animal with which they were to 

 engage. As soon, (says this author,) as we were arrived at the place, a 

 tiger was brought forth from his den, of a size much larger than we had 

 ever seen before. He was not at first let loose, but held with cords, so that 

 one of the elephants approaching, gave him three or four blows with his 

 trunk on the back, with such force that the tiger was for some time stunned, 

 and lay without motion, as if he had been dead. As soon, however, as he 

 was let loose, and at full liberty, although the first blows had greatly abated 

 his fury, he made at the elephant with a loud shriek, and aimed at seizing 

 his trunk. But the elephant, wrinkling it up with great dexterity, received 

 the tiger on his great teeth, and tossed him up into the air. This so dis- 

 couraged the furious animal, that he no more ventured to approach the 

 elephant, but made several circuits round the palisade, often attempting to 

 fly at the spectators. Shortly after, a second, and then a third elephant, 

 were sent against him, and they continued to strike him so terribly with 

 their trunks, that he once more lay for dead ; and they would certainly have 

 killed him, had not a stop been put to the combat. 



The tiger, of which Father Gouie has communicated to the Academy of 

 Sciences an anatomical description, composed by the Jesuit Fathers at 

 China, seems to belong to the true species, as does also that which the Por- 

 tuguese have distinguished by the name of royal tiger. Dellon expressly 

 says, in his 'Travels,' that there is no country of India in which tigers so 

 much abound, as Malabar ; that there the species are numerous, but that 

 the largest of all is that which the Portuguese call the royal tiger, which is 

 very rare, and is as large as a horse. 



The species of the tiger has always been much rarer, ana much less general- 

 ly diffused, than that of the lion. Like the lioness, nevertheless, the tigress 

 produces four or five young ones at a birth. From her nature she is fierce 

 at all times ; but when surrounded with her infant progeny, and in the 



