TJIE TIGER. :]-2\ 



paused and seemed to ponder long how he might annex 

 its contents. At last he was seen to gradually with- 

 draw the bag with his trunk, while he replaced it with 

 the sloping edge of his big fore-foot in supporting the 

 head of the boy. Having gobbled up the rice with 

 much despatch, he then rolled up the bag, and returning 

 it under the boy's head, stalked away ! I was told this 

 story next morning by several respectable natives who 

 saw the whole affair, and who had no object in telling 

 a lie about it. For my own part, knowing what Mr. 

 Sarjii was capable of, I believe it. 



Before quitting the subject of tigers I may notice 

 the obstacle presented by the number of these animals 

 to the advance of population and tillage. Between five 

 and six hundred human beings, and an uncalculated 

 number of cattle, are killed by wild beasts in the Central 

 Provinces alone every year. This enormous loss of life 

 and property has been the subject of much discussion, 

 and many schemes for their destruction have been 

 proposed — ruost of them unpractical, and some even 

 absurd. For some years heavy rewards were given 

 for every tiger and other dangerous animal killed, 

 special rewards being placed on the heads of man-eaters ; 

 and I am convinced that many more were killed during 

 that time than previously, though statistics of former 

 years when there was no reward are not available for 

 comparison. The number destroyed increased every 

 year under this stimulus. Eewards for the killing of 

 2,414 tigers, panthers, bears, and wolves were claimed in 

 1867 (the last year for which statistics are available), 

 against 1,863 in 1865. Tigers are certainly not now 

 so numerous by a great deal in many parts with which 

 I am personally acquainted as they were even six or 

 eight years ago. The reward has now again been much 



