THE TIGER. 55 



one of these favoured spots has been killed, or has died in the 

 ordinary course of nature, his place is promptly taken by a new- 

 comer. Preying generally upon animals killed by themselves, 

 although frequently making a meal from any carcase that may 

 lie in their way, and often resorting again and again to their 

 kill till it is in an advanced stage of decomposition, Tigers may 

 be roughly divided, according to the nature of their food, into 

 game-killers, cattle-lifters, and man-eaters ; although, of course, 

 there is no hard-and-fast division between either of these classes. 

 The game-killer preys chiefly upon Deer, Pigs, and Antelopes, 

 although it will also kill Monkeys, Peafowl, and even Porcu- 

 pines, together with many others of the smaller Mammals ; 

 while in populated districts its makes an occasional onslaught 

 on cattle. While young Buffalo and Gaur not unfrequently fall 

 victims to Tigers of this class, adults of both species are com- 

 monly left alone j although at times a Tiger will screw up his 

 courage to attack even one of the latter, mostly with success- 

 ful results. Cattle-lifters are always Tigers inhabiting the 

 neighbourhood of villages ; and as they find such animals easy 

 victims, they generally confine their attention to these alone. 

 From the cattle-lifter, a Tiger may develop into a man-eater ; 

 and as a human prey is still more easily killed and carried off 

 than a Cow or an Ox, a Tiger which has once taken to this kind 

 of livelihood, never forsakes it. The superstitious dread of 

 Tigers, and especially man-eaters, entertained by many Hindu 

 tribes, coupled with the timid nature of many of these tribes, 

 is one reason why so many man-eaters are allowed to carry 

 off their toll of victims with impunity, until a term is put 

 to their existence by the rifle of the European sportsman. 

 Should, however, such aid be not forthcoming, and the ravages 

 of the man-eater become intolerable, it not unfrequently 

 happens that the inhabitants will desert their village, rather 

 than turn out en masse and encompass the destruction of their 



