THE TIGER 493 



The TIGER (Felis tigris). 

 Sher or Bagh in India. 



A much less noisy animal than the lion, the great striped cat of 

 Asia is also a more variable species, of which at least three local races 

 may be recognised. First, we have the typical Bengal tiger, a large, 

 long-limbed, lithe, and short-haired creature. A much smaller and 

 rougher-haired race (F, tigris virgatd) inhabits the Caspian provinces 

 of Persia, and it is probably this form that extends into the Caucasus. 

 Thirdly, we have the Manchurian tiger (F. tigris mongolica), characterised 

 by its large size, heavy build, short limbs, and the great length and 

 thickness of the fur, which may be less fully striped than in Indian 

 specimens. 



Distribution. From the Caucasus through Northern Persia, India, 

 Assam, Burma, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, and China, 

 to Manchuria, Amurland, and Korea. In India ranging from an 

 elevation of some 7000 feet in ( the Himalaya to Cape Comorin, but 

 unknown in Ceylon. 



