224 JOTJBNAL^BOJ^BAY t^ATVrAL ElSKjRl SCC1E7Y, Vol. XII. 



tiger followed, but on the bear rushing out with angry roars he turned away 

 strolled up to his kill, and remained there with a bullet through him. The 

 noise of firing sent the bear off into the jungle, and brought the other two 

 tigers to attention. They were too far ofE for effective shooting and retired 

 uninjured. The family of three were all of one size : the mother was perhaps 

 higher and thinner than the two 4-year old cubs ; the slaughtered one 

 measured 8' 6"; his permanent canines were just perfect. It is evident there- 

 fore that a tiger does not avoid a bear, and that the latter has a great dread 

 of the tiger. Up till now I was of opinion that their policy was based on 

 mutual avoidance. I supplement the list given last year by the measure- 

 ments of the skulls of four large tigers and a heavy tigress. If tigers of over 

 10' 3" exist in these provinces, I have been unfortunate in not seeing them 

 either dead or alive. The effects of actual perforation of the heart or serious 

 injury to the organ by a bullet may be noted. Four out of the five tigers 

 listed below were so shot, and all of them went 50 to 100 yards before 

 falling dead; there was ample time to do considerable damage, but probably the 

 sense of direction was non-existent, and the animals were practically 

 unconscious. In only one case did a tiger deviate from a straight course 

 in his dying rush ; that one returned in his tracks after going about 50 yards, 

 and fell dead some 20 paces from the shooter. I may be permitted to add 

 my testimony to that of Professor LittledaJe as to the efficacy of small-bore 

 rifles with smokeless powder. I used a '303 bore with rifleite, avoiding the 

 arclite cleaning nuisance. For long distance shooting in the open on deer of 

 all kinds this gives great satisfaction ; but as a forest gun for short range 

 shooting at more formidable game it is useless. We lost two tigers hit with 

 soft-nose bullets. They collapsed and then ran away like hares, leaving no 

 blood trail after a few yards. I know of no weapon of less calibre than '577 

 which can be relied on tc stop a tiger, and that even sometimes fails 

 unaccountably. The following skull measurements are taken between perpen- 

 diculars, the tigers being taped as they lay: — Length. Skull. 

 Tiger 



Tigress 



S. EARDLEY-WILMOT. 

 LuCKNOW, April, 1898. 



No. XVII.-ELEPHANTS^ ANKLE-JOINTS. 



Perhaps some of our military members can favour me with an answer to 

 tho following received from a friend in the United States, Professor of 

 Biology :— 



" As to the elephants' legs and feet, oar osteologists say they are badly 

 constructed at the ankle (at least not so well constructed as in the horse, cow> 



