SOME NA TURE NOTES. 409 



this is frequently done by tigers, and 1 recollect how one large tiger 



which I shot had deposited the carcass of a buffalo in the middle of a 



j)Ool of water, presumably with this object in view. Lions appear 



to be scavengers, for Mr. Selous says that " as long as they can find 



dead animals to eat, they will not take the trouble to hunt." I have 



not found tiirers addicted to this habit. He mentions two instances 



of lions eating the flesh of their own kind. I have myself come 



across an instance of a tiger being given to cannibalism, and have 



heard of several other cases. In that which came under mv notice, 1 



had been following for several days a lame tiger, one of whose hind 



feet had " sat down," as though broken or dislocated, and so made a 



long track. The animal was going about with a tigress and a large 



cub. On kicking open one of its dry droppings one day, it was 



found to be composed of tiger's hair, in which a large intact claw 



was buried. From this evidence I came to the conclusion that the 



tio-er had had an encounter with another of its kind, and had killed 



and devoured it, being himself lamed in the fight. I never killed 



this tiger, beino- unfortunately suddenly recalled from leave before I 



had time to bring this family party to bag. 



The number of cubs in the case of the lion is generally two or 

 three, but as many as six are sometimes given birth to. The same 

 remarks apply to the tiger, except that I have not heard of more than 

 four cubs at a birth. 



Tigers are sometimes hard put to it for food. I have found 

 remains of fish, crabs, bears and on one occasion a large python, 

 eaten by them. They prey largely on porcupines, so that it is 

 common to find quills embedded in their paws. I think I recorded 

 in this Journal some years ago how one of my goats, tied up for a 

 panther, was killed by a porcupine, a large quill having pierced the 

 lioart. 



Mr. Selous mentions an instance of a wounded hysena charging 

 when followed up. It does not appear whether the animal was of the 

 -petted or striped species. The latter, the only hya?na found in 

 Jiidia, has the reputation of being a cowardly beast. I wounded 

 one with small shot on one occasion, when beating for peafowl, and 

 walked close up to it to finish it off", but it made not the slightest 

 show of fight. 



