THE TIGER'S MODE OF SEIZING ITS PREY. 277 



The bull eventually beat off his antagonist, but was left in a woeful condi- 

 tion, and died in a few hours. 



I have never witnessed a tiger actually seize its prey, but it has been 

 described to me by men who have seen the occurrence scores of times 

 within a few yards' distance whilst tending cattle. The general method is 

 for the tiger to slink up under cover of bushes or long grass, ahead of the 

 cattle in the direction they are feeding, and to make a rush at the first cow 

 or bullock that comes within five or six yards. The tiger does not spiring 

 upon his prey in the manner usually represented. Clutching the bullock's 

 fore - quarters with his paws, one being generally over the shoulder, he 

 seizes the throat in his jaws from underneath, and turns it upwards and 

 over, sometimes springing to the far side in doing so, to throw the bullock 

 over, and give the wrench which dislocates its neck. This is frequently 

 done so quickly that the tiger, if timid, is in retreat again almost before the 

 herdsman can turn round. Bold animals often kill several head, unsophis- 

 ticated cattle occasionally standing and staring at the tiger in stupid 

 astonishment ; but herds that are accustomed to these raids only enter 

 the jungle with extreme unwillingness, and frequently stampede back to 

 the village at even the rustle of a bird in a thicket. 



Captain Forsyth says : " The tiger's usual way is to seize with the teeth 

 by the ncqje of the neck, and at the same time use the paws to hold the 

 victim and give a purchase for the wrench that dislocates the neck." 

 Captain Baldwin, in his Large and Small Game of Bengal, says : " He 

 launches himself upon his victim, and seizing it by the back of the neck 

 (not the throat), brings it to the ground, and then gives that fatal wrench 

 or twist which dislocates the neck. I have examined the carcasses of many 

 scores of bullocks killed by tigers, and have, in the great majority of cases, 

 found the neck broken, and the deep holes at the back of the neck caused 

 by the tiger's fangs." Also : " A tiger, as I have before stated, almost inva- 

 riably seizes his prey by the back of the neck ; leopards and panthers not 

 unfrequently by the throat." 



Now, with due respect for Captains Forsyth and Baldwin's opinions on 

 sporting matters, I beg to differ with theni entirely on this point. The 

 tiger does occasionally seize by the nape of the neck, in the case of having 

 to deal with very powerful cattle, but I am convinced this is not his usual 

 method. Out of some hundreds of kills that I have seen, there were only 

 two animals seized in this way. One was a boar, which had eventually 

 beaten off a tigress, though we found him dead several days after, with 

 deep fang-wounds at the back of his head ; and the other was a huge tame 

 bull-buffalo, that might well have defied any tiger but such an one as he sue- 



