68 WILD SPORTS OF BURMA AND ASSAM 



cattle, that he falls upon man ; and it is stated in support of 

 these views, that these man-eaters are mangy and decrepit 

 beasts without possessing a single point that makes the tiger 

 the formidable creature he is in his prime. This is partially 

 true, but man-eaters have also constantly been found to be 

 sleek, lusty, and at their full strength and vigour, quite as 

 often as the reverse ; it is not therefore entirely dependent on 

 age and concomitant weakness that the tiger takes to this 

 habit. I think the argument advanced by many observers and 

 naturalists, that the animal either accidentally or by press 

 of hunger having once seized a man and found out what an 

 easy capture he had made, and, in addition, that the flesh is 

 palatable, takes advantage of this acquired knowledge, and 

 thenceforth becomes that dreaded monster, a man-eater is 

 equally reasonable, and may be accepted, perhaps, as the more 

 probable of the two. 



" There are divers opinions as to the exact mode by which 

 a tiger takes its prey. Popularly he is supposed to lie in 

 ambush and spring on his victim as it passes his lair; or 

 watching by a pool, awaits the arrival of animals in quest of 

 water. These would offer but precarious chances even to so 

 cunning and stealthy a foe as the tiger, as all wild animals 

 are so wonderfully cautious in their approach to such resorts. 

 The tiger, too, betrays his presence to them by that peculiar 

 smell attaching to him, so that the odds are greatly against 

 our striped friend's success : though of course he occasionally 

 is rewarded by catching some unwary, over-thirsty animal 

 that rushes to the water heedless of the consequences. But 

 this will not apply to the tiger on the hills, where no paucity 

 of water ever occurs to such an extent as to drive the game 

 to any one spot to drink. That the tiger's principal food 

 in certain localities is game there can be little question, but 

 how he takes it is not well known, and perhaps may never 

 have been witnessed by any one. 



" I have a theory of my own upon this point let us ventilate 

 it. In the first place, the tiger must have room to spring on 

 his victims : in the sholas many are sufficiently clear to allow 

 this ; and no doubt he takes advantage of such spots when a 

 chance offers in them, but in general the woods are dense 

 with undergrowth interspersed with trees so close together 



