THE TIGER. 67 



nance to resorting to these contrivances on the part of the 



sportsman. Poisoning the kill had to be very carefully carried 



out, for Khasias eat both the Tiger and remains of his prey." 



Regarding its behaviour in captivity, Jardine, in the original 



issue of this volume of the "Naturalist's Library," writes that 



1 



"the Tiger is readily tamed when taken young, but its temper 

 may be said to be scarcely so much depended upon as that of 

 the Lion. Keepers enter the cage and caress them, but they 

 never venture upon those annoying liberties which are generally 

 so freely taken with the Lion ; and strangers, I believe, have 

 never attempted to venture within their reach. It may also 

 be remarked, that there is only one instance upon record 

 where the Tiger allowed a Dog to become an inmate of his den. 

 With the Lion it is frequent, and great affection is displayed. 

 On the contrary, however, the inhabitants of India appear to 

 have great power in the management of the Tiger, and it is 

 more frequently seen tame in that country than any of the 

 other Felidce. The tame Tigers of the fakirs exhibit great 

 gentleness and confidence, which may in part be attributed to 

 the ample way in which they are fed." 



Although many adventurous Indian sportsmen track Tigers to 

 their "kill" or their lair on foot, while others have the patience 

 to endure a long night's watch over a kill or tethered Cow, 

 perched on a machan t or stage, built in some convenient tree, 

 Tiger-shooting is more generally pursued on Elephants, which 

 method, indeed, in the long grass-jungles is the only practic- 

 able one. There are, of course, many modern accounts of 

 Tiger-shooting in this manner ; but we content ourselves with 

 quoting one given in the early part of the century by Captain 

 Mundy — at that time a well-known Indian sportsman. 



After stating the preliminary preparations for the hunt, and 

 the start, the narrator writes that " on clearing the wood, we 

 entered an open space of marshy grass not three feet high ; a 



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