CAT KIND. 417 



nate cruelty, and scarce finds time to appease its 

 appetite, while intent upon satisfying the malig- 

 nity of its nature. It thus becomes the scourge 

 of the country where it is found ; it. fears neither 

 the threats nor the opposition of mankind ; the 

 beasts both wild and tame fall equally a sacrifice 

 to its insatiable fury ; the young elephant and the 

 rhinoceros become equally its prey, and it not un- 

 frequently ventures to attack even the lion himself. 



It is happy for the rest of nature that this animal 

 is not common, and that the species is chiefly con- 

 fined to the warmest provinces of the East. The 

 tiger is found in Malabar, in Siam, in Bengal, and 

 in all the countries which are inhabited by the 

 elephant or the rhinoceros. Some even pretend 

 that it has a friendship for, and often accompanies 

 the latter, in order to devour its excrements, 

 which serve it as a purge. Be this as it will, there 

 is no doubt but that they are often seen together at 

 the sides of Jakes and rivers, where they are proba- 

 bly both compelled to go by the thirst which in that 

 torrid climate they must very often endure. It 

 is likely enough, also, that they seldom make war 

 upon each other, the rhinoceros being a peaceable 

 animal, and the tiger knowing its strength too well 

 to venture the engagement. It is still more likely 

 that the tiger finds this a very convenient situation, 

 since it can there surprise a greater number of ani- 

 mals, which are compelled thither from the same 

 motives. In fact, it is generally known to lurk 

 near such places where it has an opportunity of 

 choosing its prey, or rather of multiplying its 

 massacres. When it has killed one, it often goes 



VOL. n. D d 



