THE TIGEE. 255 



generations, actually resulted in separate breeds, each more 

 adapted for its hereditary method of existence ? I myself be- 

 lieve the former to be the truth, and that there really is only 

 one variety of tiger in all peninsular India. It is only to ex- 

 treme specimens that the above distinctive names are applied ; 

 and the great majority are of an intermediate character, and not 

 distinguished by any particular name. The larger and older 

 the animal the more yellow his coat becomes, and the fainter 

 and further apart are the stripes. Small tigers are sometimes 

 so crowded with the black stripes as almost to approach the 

 appearance of a rnelanoid variety. A few specimens of white 

 tigers with fulvous stripes have also been mentioned, though 

 I never heard of one in Central India. The tiger, like all 

 animals that I am acquainted with, is subject to slight varia- 

 tions of appearance and conformation amongst individuals ; 

 and local circumstances, and perhaps " natural selection," may 

 tend to give the race something of peculiarity in different 

 localities. But none of these has as yet, I believe, reached the 

 point of even permanent variation. 



It is useless to devote much time to hunting the hill tigers 

 that prey on game alone. They are so scattered over extensive 

 tracts of jungle, and are so active and wary, that it is only by 

 accident that they are ever brought to bag. 



Favourably situated covers are almost certain to hold one or 

 more cattle-eating tigers during the hot weather ; and how- 

 ever many are killed, others will shortly occupy their place. A 

 favourite resort for these tigers is in the dense thickets formed 

 of j&man, karondd, and tamarisk evergreen bushes whose 

 shade is thickest in the hot weather, and which grow in islands 

 and on the banks of the partially dried-up stream-beds. A 

 thick and extensive cover of this sort, particularly if the 

 neighbouring river banks are furnished, as is often the case, 



