270 THE HIGHLANDS OF CEXTEAL INDIA. 



meetings. More usually it is ca solitary male tiger, 

 or a tiger and tigress, or a tigress with her grown-up 

 cubs, that are found in one place. The tigress cannot 

 breed more than once in three years, I believe ; for 

 the cubs almost invariably stay with her till they are 

 over two years old, and nearly full grown. The greatest 

 number of cubs I have ever found with a tigress was 

 three. These were small, however, and I never saw 

 more than two grown-up along with the female. 



A single tiger will kill an ox about every five 

 days, if not disturbed, eating, if very hungry, both hind 

 quarters the first night. He will not go further than 

 he can help after this meal, but will return again next 

 night to the carcase, which in the meantime he often 

 stores away under a bank, or covers with leaves, etc. 

 This time he will finish all but the head ; next night 

 he will clean the bones ; and then for a couple of days 

 he wall not take the trouble to hunt for a meal, though 

 he W'ill strike down another quarry if it comes near him. 

 Should he have been fired at, however, when thus 

 returning to his kill, he will frequently abandon such 

 measures of economy, and kill a fresh bullock whenever 

 he is hungry. A tigress and grown cubs are also far 

 more destructive, finishing a bullock in a night, and, 

 like the daughter of the horse-leech, always crying for 

 more. The young tigers seem to rejoice in the exercise 

 of their growing strength, springing up against trees 

 and scratching the bark as high as they can reach 

 by w^ay of gymnastics, and, if they get among a herd of 

 cattle, striking dowai as many as they can get hold of. 

 The tiger very seldom kills his prey by the " sledge- 

 hammer stroke " of his fore paw, so often talked about, 

 the usual way being to seize with the teeth by the nape 



