FELIS TIGRIS. 93 



white about the head," Again, "Unless the Lion, no other cat approaches 

 it in the massive proportions of the fore paw, as compared with the hind. 

 Some of both sexes are made more heavily than others, with a greater 

 development of the fold of skin along the belly, which adds to their 

 apparent bulk. The stripes too vary much in different individuals, and 

 occasionally are almost throughout double." 



The Tiger is found throughout all India, from Cape Comorin to the 

 Himalayas, ascending the hills occasionally to an elevation of 6,000 or 

 7,000 feet. It is found in all the forests and jungles throughout the 

 peninsula, occasionally visiting the more open and cultivated parts of the 

 country, and harbouring in thickets, long grass, and especially in brush- 

 wood on river-banks, and on churs covered with tamarisk. In the hot 

 weather, indeed, these are its favourite resorts in many parts of Centi'al 

 India, and from there it sallies forth towards the villages in search of food. 

 In lower Bengal the heavy grass jungles and swamps are his usual lair. 

 Tigers are perhaps more abundant in lower Bengal than in most other parts 

 of the country, and are said to be both larger and more savage than those 

 from other parts of India. Those of Central India, however, are perhaps 

 as large, and quite, if not more ferocious than their Bengal brethren. 



The average size of a full-grown male tiger is from 9 to 9| feet in 

 length, but I fancy there is very little doubt that, occasionally, tigers are 

 killed 10 feet in length, and perhaps a few^inches over that; but the stories 

 of tigers 11 feet and 12 feet in length, so often heard and repeated, 

 certainly require confirmation, and I have not myself seen an authentic 

 account of a tiger that measured more than 10 feet and 2 or 3 inches. 

 Major Sherwill, who was for some years in Dinagepore district, told me 

 that the largest he had seen killed was 9 feet 8 inches. The skin is very 

 often measured either when fresh taken from the carcass, or after it has 

 been stretched out to dry ; and Mr. W, Elliot records an instance of a 

 lion measured by himself at 9 feet 4 inches. This was noted by one of 

 the party as 11 feet and by another as 12 feet, the first measurement 

 being taken from the skin when taken oiF ; the other from the skin 

 stretched out by pegs for drying. 



Mr. Walter Elliot * has the following remarks on the distribution and 

 habits of this animal in Southern India. " The Tiger is common over the 

 whole district, breeding in the forest and mountain tracts, and coming 



* Cat. Mammalia, South Mahr. Country. 



