THE TIGER. 



THIS is a quadruped of the cat family, and inferior to the 

 lion only in size, strength, and courage. It is one of the 

 most beautiful, but at the same time, one of the most rapa- 

 cious and destructive of the whole animal race. Its pro- 

 pensities, however, tend to show how little a mischievous 

 disposition can be compensated for by a beautiful form. 



This animal has an insatiable thirst after blood ; and even 

 when satiated with food, is not satisfied w r ith slaughter, but, 

 displaying the genuine characteristics of consummate and 

 innate malignity, continues its ravages until objects whereon 

 it may exercise its fury can no longer be found. 



Happily for the rest of the quadruped race, as well as 

 mankind, this destructive animal is not very common, nor 

 widely diffused ; for it is confined to the warm climates of 

 the East, especially India and Siam, although they are 

 sometimes found as far north as China. No part of the 

 world, however, is so much infested with tigers as India, 

 nor any part of India so much as the province of Bengal, 

 of which the southern part, towards the mouth of the 

 Ganges, forming an extensive labyrinth of woody islands, 

 called the Sunderbunds, may be considered the great ren- 

 dezvous of these destructive animals. This extensive wil- 

 derness, according to Major Rennel, is so covered with 

 wood, <md infested with tigers, that no attempts have ever 



