The Tiger 



never alluded to by its proper name, but spoken of as 

 "the Uncle," "the Great One," and other respectful 

 epithets. Among the Malays there is a deeply 

 ingrained belief that those versed in occult arts are 

 capable of transforming themselves at will into tigers ; 

 as there is in the existence of "ghost-tigers" (ri?nau 

 kramat)^ which latter are invulnerable and recognisable 

 by having one foot smaller than the other. The most 

 curious of these legends is, however, one relating to the 

 origin of the tiger's stripes. A boy, so runs the story, 

 of an incorrigibly bad disposition, was once soundly 

 thrashed by his schoolmaster, with the result that he 

 was transformed into a tiger, who to this day carries 

 on his hide the mark of the stripes with which he was 

 beaten. 



Now it is these same stripes which form the most 

 characteristic external feature of the tiger ; no other 

 member of the feline tribe being so conspicuously 

 marked in this manner, although a sombre - hued 

 approximation to this type of coloration is presented by 

 the wild cat of Europe and one phase of the domesti- 

 cated " tabby." It was long held that the stripes of 

 the tiger were developed in order to harmonise with 

 the vertical streaks of light and shade to be seen in an 

 Indian grass-jungle ; but it should be remembered that 

 the Siberian tiger, which is similarly marked, inhabits a 

 totally different kind of country, and since the tiger 

 appears to be a comparatively recent immigrant into 

 the peninsula of India, it is evident that an explanation 

 is required of the use of its coloration which will 

 apply equally to all phases of its existence. If there 

 be, indeed, any preferential claim for one part of its 

 habitat rather than another, this preference is due to 

 Central Asia. 



From the reports of sportsmen and travellers as to 

 the almost invisibility of zebras when standing in the 

 open, even at a comparatively short distance, the truth 

 would appear to be that the colouring of the tiger is for 



295 



