9irtt'0nartf of 8mmatc& Mature. 683 



mountains. It has all the zoological cha- 

 racters, prowling habits, and sanguinary 

 propensities common to the rest of the genus; 

 but it is distinguished from them all by the 

 peculiar markings of its coat. The ground 

 colour is a bright orange-yellow ; the face, 

 throat, and under side of the belly being 

 nearly white ; the whole elegantly striped 

 by a series of transverse black bands or bars, 

 which form a bold and striking contrast 

 with the ground-colour. About the face and 

 breast the stripes are proportional Iv smaller 

 than on other parts ; and the markings are 

 continued, in an annular form, upon the 

 tail, the tip of which is black. 



TIGER. (rLI8 TIGRIS.) 



The Tigers exhibited in our menageries 

 seldom fail to engage the spectator's especial 

 notice ; but a wide difference is observable 

 between such animals as by long confine- 

 ment, and an alteration of climate, have lost 



i the native brilliancy of their colours, and 

 those which roam the forest, or lurk in the 

 jungle and morass. When seen in perfec- 

 tion, and before its health has l>een impaired 

 by confinement, it is scarcely possible to 

 conceive a more elegantly variegated ani- 



I mal : the bright and intense orange-yellow ; 

 the deep and well-defined stripes of block, 

 in some parts double, in others single ; the 

 pure white of the checks and lower part of 

 the sides, over which a part of the black 

 striping is continued form, altogether, an 

 appearance superior in beauty to that of 

 any other regularly^ marked quadruped. 

 Although the Tiger is generally inferior in 

 size to the Lion, it has sometimes been seen 

 even larger, viz. of the length of fifteen feet 

 from the nose to the tip of the tail. The 

 largest are those of India, which are termed 

 Koycd Tiyers. 



As this animal is said to surpass in ferocity 

 every other, it is accordingly considered as 

 the most dreadful scourge of the hotter re- 

 gions of Asia. It has been common to re- 

 present it as quite untameable even when in 

 confinement ; but many instances* might be 

 given to show that such an assertion is with- 

 out foundation ; though no one can deny 

 that it is extremely difficult to overcome 

 their naturally cruel and ferocious nature. 

 The Tiger's method of seizing his prey is by 

 concealing himself from view, and springing 

 with a horrible roar on his victim, which he 

 carries off, and tears to pieces, after having 

 first partly satiated himself by sucking the 

 blood ; and such is his strength, that he is 

 able to carry olf a buffalo with seeming ease. 

 The Tigress, like the Lioness, produces four 

 or five young at a litter : she is at all times 



furious, but when robbed of her young her 

 rage exceeds all bounds. Braving every 

 danger, she then pursues her plunderers, who 

 are often glad to release a cub in order to 

 retard her while they make their escape : 

 she stops, takes it up, and carries it to the 

 nearest cover, but instantly returns, and 

 renews her pursuit, even to the very gates 

 of buildings, or the edge of the sea ; and 

 when her hope of recovering them is lost, 

 she expresses her agony by hideous and ter- 

 rific bowlings. 



The following observations on the habits, 

 chase, &c. of the Tiger are much to the pur- 

 pose : "The bound with which the ambushed 

 Tiger throw* himself upon his prey is as 

 wonderful in its extent as it is terrible in its 

 effects. Pennant justly observes that the 

 distance which it clears in this deadly leap 

 is scarcely credible. Man is a mere puppet 

 in his griiie ; and the Indian buffalo is not 

 only borne down by the ferocious beast, but 

 carried off by his enormous strength. If he 

 fails, it has been said that he makes off. 

 This may be true in certain instances, but 

 in general he does not slink away, but pur- 

 sues the affrighted prey with a speedy ac- 

 tivity which is seldom exerted in vain. This 

 leads us to the observation of Pliny cele- 

 brating its swiftness, for which the Roman 

 zoologist has been censured, most unjustly, 

 apparently; nor is he the only author among 

 the ancients who notices its speed. Oppiun 

 t'l/iieg., i. 82!.) speaks of the swift Tigers as 

 being the offspring of the Zephyr. Pliny, 

 says Pennant, has been frequently taken to 

 task by the moderns for calling the Tiger 

 'unimal tremendae velocitatis ; ' they allow 

 it great agility in its bounds, but deny it 

 swiftness in pursuit. Two travellers of au- 

 thority, both eye-witnesses, confirm what 

 Pliny says ; the one indeed only mentions 

 in general vast fieetness; the other saw a 

 trial between one and a swift horse, whose 

 rider escaped merely by getting in time 

 amidst a circle of armed men. The chase of 

 this animal was a favourite diversion with 

 the great Cam-Hi, the Chinese monarch, in 

 whose company our countryman, Mr. Bell, 

 that faithful traveller, and the Pere Ger- 

 billon, saw these proofs of the Tiger's 

 speed." 



Numerous arc the instances which might 

 be given of the Tiger's ferocity, and con- 

 tempt of danger. The following fatal event, 

 as described by an eye-witness, though fre- 

 quently related, possesses such an unusual 

 degree of fearful interest, that we are tempted 

 to repeat it here. It took place in 1792 ; the 

 unfortunate victim was the son of Sir Hector 

 Monro, Bart. " We went," says the nar- 

 rator, " on shore on Saugar Island, to shoot 

 deer, of which we saw innumerable tracks, 

 as well as of Tigers ; notwithstanding which, 

 we continued our diversion till near three 

 o'clock, when, sitting down by the side of a 

 jungle to refresh ourselves, a roar like thunder 

 was heard, and an immense Tiger seized on 

 our unfortunate friend, and rushed again 

 into the jungle, dragging him through the 

 thickest bushes and trees, every thing giving 

 way to his monstrous strength : a Tigress 

 accompanied his progress. The united ago- 



