184 



the islands, &c., I saw one killed close to Calcutta at the edge of 

 the salt-water lake. It had not previously been recorded from 

 Lower Bengal." 



Page 22, No. 19, Felis tigris. 

 The Tiger. 



Jerdon does not remark that, the hair in some specimens of this 

 animal is longer than in others ; but says, vide page 93, that 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. Mr. Francis Buckland, at page 263, Vol. 1, of the 

 third series of his curiosities of natural history, appears to think 

 that there is a second species of tiger which has not smooth hair 

 but a rough hairy coat, and publishes some remarks on the long fur 

 of the tigers of the Altai mountains and Oriental Siberia, by Mr. 

 N. L. Austen, who says, that it would be interesting to ascertain 

 whether the fur of Indian tigers becomes longer or thicker during 

 the rainy season. About this it is difficult to give a reply, for very 

 few tigers are killed during the rains ; but I feel sure that any 

 sportsman who has had a good opportunity of seeing a tiger, dead 

 or alive, on the Neilgherries, would tell him, that although there is 

 no reason to suppose that the hill tigers differ in species from 

 their relations of the plains, the fur all over is much longer and 

 denser, thereby causing the wearers to appear much heavier and 

 far more handsome than those of the low country. 



I had an excellent opportunity of seeing a hill tiger not many 

 months ago, but before giving my story shall avail myself of the 

 following extracts from some admirable letters on the poachers of 

 the Neilgherry hills written by my friend " Hawkeye" in the South 

 of India Observer of the 26th November 1868 and some of the 

 following issues : 



GAME, OUR POACHERS. 



" Let us turn to the poachers, and proceed with our pro- 

 " posed object in dealing with them, viz., relate what we know 

 " of their habits, particularly with reference to their ravages 

 " and destruction of game, interspersed with such anecdotes regard- 



