182 ANECDOTES OF ANIMALS. 



blood, fell in its way. Hitherto it had been studiously 

 kept from animal food ; but the instant it had dipped 

 its tongue in blood, something like madness seemed to 

 have seized upon the animal. A destructive principle 

 hitherto dormant was awakened. It darted fiercely and 

 with glaring eyes upon its prey, tore it to pieces with 

 fury, and, roaring in the most fearful manner, rushed 

 at once into the jungle.' 



I am not sorry to end this account of the tiger with 

 an old story, which places the fierce beast of prey in 

 rather a more amiable light than most of the previous 

 histories. ' A tigress of great beauty, from Bengal, 

 being extremely docile on her passage home from Cal- 

 cutta, was allowed to run about the vessel, and she 

 became exceedingly familiar with the sailors. On her 

 arrival in the Thames, however, her temper became 

 very irascible, and even dangerous. She was placed 

 in the Tower, where she for some time continued to 

 exhibit a sulky and savage disposition. One day the 

 person who had charge of her on board the ship, visited 

 the Tower, and begged permission of the keeper to be 

 allowed to enter her den, to which he at last agreed, 

 though with much reluctance. No sooner did the 

 tigress recognise her old friend, than she fawned upon 

 him, licked and caressed him, exhibiting the most 

 extravagant signs of pleasure ; and when he left her, 

 ehe whined and cried the whole day afterwards. 



LEOPARDS, PANTHERS, ETC. 



THE Felis Leopardus and the Felis Pardus of author?, 

 represent the Leopard and Panther ; but it has been 



