BIG GAME 127 



and are more numerous in Fukien, Kuang- 

 tung, Kuangsi and Kwei-chow, especially 

 in the last province. The proper Chinese 

 word for tiger is Hu or Tao-hu. The 

 climate of China has not abated the natural 

 viciousness of this animal, whose depreda- 

 tions are not confined to the country, but 

 one will daringly go into a town and de- 

 stroy human life. The spoon of a large 

 tiger has been seen under the walls of the 

 city of Kwei-yang, which is the provincial 

 capital of Kwei-chow, and was tracked 

 over the snow into the mountains, some 

 two miles from the city, where it had eaten 

 its prey. The depredations are usually 

 confined to carrying off of pigs, goats and 

 dogs, but frequently the animal will attack 

 an ordinary size ox and small ponies ; one 

 will seldom attack a water-buffalo, unless 

 two or more are hunting together. If the 

 water-buffalo has a calf one of the tigers 

 will seem to attack the mother so as to 

 give the other the better opportunity to 

 carry off the offspring. These attacks, 

 however, do not always prove successful, 

 for a dead tiger has been found on the 

 field of battle, as the result of the affection 

 and courage of the mother. In the case 



