150 THE TIGER. 
Upon the African continent, the lion reigns supreme, sole monarch over the feline 
race. But in Asia his claims to undivided royalty are disputed by the TrGER, an animal 
which equals the lion in size, strength, and activity, and certainly excels him in the 
elegance of its form, the grace of its movements, and the beauty of its fur. The range 
of the Tiger is not so widely spread as that of the lion, for it is never found in any 
portions of the New World, nor in Africa, and, except in certain districts, is but rarely 
seen even in the countries where it takes up its residence. Some portions of country 
there are, which are absolutely infested by this fierce animal, whose very appearance is 
sufficient to throw the natives into a state of abject terror. 
In its colour the Tiger presents a most beautiful arrangement of markings and contrast 
of tints. On a bright tawny yellow ground, sundry dark stripes are placed, arranged, as 
may be seen by the engraving, nearly at right angles with the body or limbs. Some of 
these stripes are double, but the greater number are single dark streaks. The under parts 
of the body, the chest, throat, and the long hair which tufts each side of the face, are 
almost white, and upon these parts the stripes become very obscure, fading gradually into 
the light tint of the fur. The tail is of a whiter hue than the upper portions of the body, 
and is decorated in like manner with dark rings. 
So brilliantly adorned an animal would appear to be very conspicuous among even 
the trees and bushes, and to thrust itself boldly upon the view. But there is no animal 
that can hide itself more thoroughly than the Tiger, or which can walk through the under- 
wood with less betrayal of its presence. 
The vertical stripes of the body harmonize so well with the dry, dusky jungle grass 
among which this creature loves to dwell, that the grass and fur are hardly distinguishable 
from each other except by a quick and experienced eye. A Tiger may thus lie concealed 
so cleverly, that even w hen crouching among low and scanty vegetation, it may be almost 
trodden on without being seen, The step too, is So quiet and stealthy, that it gives no 
audible indication of the creature's whereabouts, and the Tiger has, besides, a curious 
habit of drawing in its breath and flattening its fur, so as to reduce its bulk as far as 
possible. When a Tiger thus slinks away from the hunters or from any dreaded danger, 
it looks a most contemptible and cowardly creature, hardly to be recognised in the fiery 
beast, which, when driven to bay, rushes, regardless of danger, with fierce yells of rage 
and bristling hair, upon the foremost foe. 
When seeking its prey, 1t never appears to employ openly that active strength which 
would seem so sure to attain its end, but creeps stealthily towards the object, availing 
itself of every cover, until it can spring upon the destined victim. Like the lion, it has 
often been known to stall an unconscious animal, crawling after it as it moves along, and 
following its steps in hopes of gaining a nearer approach. It has even been known to 
stalk human beings in this fashion, the Tiger in question being one of those terrible 
animals called “ Man-eaters,” on account of their destructive propensities. It is said that 
there is an outward change caused in the Tiger by the indulgence of this man-slaying 
habit, and that a “Man-eater” can be distinguished trom any other Tiger by the darker tint 
of the skin, and a redness in the cornea of the eyes. Not even the Man- -eating Tiger 
dares an open assault, but crawls insidiously towards his prey, preferring, as does the lion, 
the defenceless women and children as the object of attack, and leaving alone the men, 
who are seldom without arms. 
The Tiger is very clever in selecting spots from whence it can watch the approach of 
its intended prey, itself being couched under the shade of foliage or behind the screen of 
some friendly rock, It is fond of lying in wait by the side of moderately frequented roads, 
more particularly choosing those spots where the shade is the deepest, and where water 
may be found at hand wherewith to quench the thirst that it always feels when consuming 
its prey. From such a point of vantage it will leap with terrible effect, seldom making 
above a single spring, and, as a rule, alw ays being felt before it is seen or heard. 
It is a curious fact that the Tiger generally takes up his post on the side of the road 
which is opposite his lair, so that “he has no need to turn and drag his prey across the 
road, but proceeds forward with his acquisition to his den. Should the Tiger miss his 
leap, he generally seems bewildered and: ashamed of himself, and instead of returning to 
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