THE TIGER. 133 



to the ground as large an animal as an ox ; while, if the claws lend their trenchant aid to the 

 heavy blow of the limb, the terrible effects may be imagined. 



Besides the severity of the wound which may be inflicted by so fearful a weapon, there 

 .are other means of destruction that lie hid in the Tiger's claws. From some cause or other, 

 it may be presumed on account of some peculiar manner in which the claws affect the nervous 

 system, even a trivial wound has often been known to produce lockjaw, and to destroy the 

 victim by the effects of that fearful disease. It may be, that the perturbation of mind caused 

 by the attack of the Tiger, may have some hand in the matter. Captain Williamson, an officer 

 of twenty years' experience in Bengal, states that he never knew a person to die from the 

 wounds inflicted by a Tiger's claws without suffering from lockjaw previous to death ; and he 

 adds, that those cases which appeared the least alarming were the most suddenly carried off. 



Many modes are adopted of killing so fearful a pest as the Tiger, and some of these plans 

 are very ingenious. 



There is the usual spring-bow, which is placed in the animal's path, the bow drawn to the 

 arrow's head, and a string leading from the trigger across the path in such a manner that the 

 creature presses against it with its breast, discharges the weapon, and so receives the arrow in 

 its heart. 



The bow is set by fastening it to two strong posts set by the side of the Tiger's path, the 

 string of the bow being parallel with the path. The string is then drawn back to its utmost 

 limits, and a stick placed between the bow and the string, thus keeping the weapon bent. A 

 long wedge is inserted between the stick and the bow, and the liberating cord tied to is pro- 

 jecting end. Lastly, the arrow is laid on the string, and the engine is ready for action. Of 

 necessity, as soon as the Tiger presses the cord, the wedge is drawn away, the guarding stick 

 drops, and the bow hurls its deadly missile. So rapidly does this simple contrivance act, that 

 the Tiger is generally hit near the shoulder. The arrow is usually poisoned by means of a 

 thread dipped in some deadly mixture, and wrapped round the arrow-point. 



There is another plan, in which human aid is requisite, namely, by building a strong 

 bamboo enclosure, in which the hunter lies, armed with a spear. At nightfall the Tiger comes 

 prowling along and smelling the man, rears up on its hind legs, trying to claw down the 

 bamboo bars. The hunter in the meanwhile takes his spear, and mortally wounds the brindled 

 foe, by striking the spear-point between the bars of the edifice. 



A still more ingenious mode of Tiger killing is that which is employed by the natives 

 of Oude. 



They gather a number of the broad leaves of the prauss tree, which much resembles the 

 sycamore, and having well besmeared them with a kind of birdlime, they strew them in the 

 animal's way, taking care to lay them with the prepared side uppermost. Let a Tiger but put 

 his paw on one of these innocent looking leaves, and his fate is settled. Finding the leaf stick 

 to his paw, he shakes it, in order to rid himself of the nuisance, and finding that plan unsuc- 

 cessful, he endeavors to attain his object by rubbing it against his face, thereby smearing the 

 ropy birdlime over his nose and eyes, and gluing the eyelids together. By this time he has 

 probably trodden upon several more of the treacherous leaves, and is bewildered with the 

 novel inconvenience ; then he rolls on the ground, and rubs his head and face on the earth, in 

 his efforts to get free. By so doing, he only adds fresh birdlime to his head, body, and limbs, 

 agglutinates his sleek fur together in unsightly tufts, and finishes by hoodwinking himself so 

 thoroughly with leaves and birdlime, that he lies floundering on the ground, tearing up the 

 earth with his claws, uttering howls of rage and dismay, and exhausted by the impotent 

 struggles in which he has been so long engaged. These cries are a signal to the authors of his 

 misery, who run to the spot, armed with guns, bows, and spears, and find no difficulty in 

 despatching their blind and wearied foe. 



Another mode of destroying the Tiger is by means of a strongly constructed trap, made 

 on the same principle as the ordinary mousetraps, which take their victim by dropping a door 

 over the entrance. The Tiger trap is little more than the mousetrap, only made on a much 

 larger scale, and of strong wooden bars instead of iron wires. The bait is generally a pariah 

 dog, or a young goat, both of which animals give vent to their anxiety by loud wailings, and 



