CRAFTINESS ADOPTED BY A TIGER 69 



that the spring of the tiger and the force of his blow must, I 

 should say, be greatly interfered with. Then again, his pre- 

 sence as before said is so liable to detection by the deer 

 that his chances of capture are remote ; but at night the deer 

 are out in the open, and then, perhaps, the wind being by 

 chance in his favour, he may succeed ; and I am disposed to 

 believe that this is the most likely time for him to do so, 

 though he is in no way restricted as to time or place, for he 

 slays buffaloes oftener during the day than the night, and at 

 times close to their habitations. All deer possess an acute sense 

 of smell, and against it a tiger has to contend before he can 

 provide his larder with game ; but how does he manage it? 

 We cannot give him the credit of the intellect of man, who 

 in pursuit of game is well aware nothing can be done down 

 wind ; and also, not a sambur or deer would be left alive 

 the tiger would bag them all,, just as he pleased : in fact, he 

 would then be able to kill any deer when he wanted it. 



"We have so far considered the acuteness on the part of the 

 game to ensure them against total destruction, and I have 

 only one further observation to record, and that is, how often 

 the presence of a tiger is indicated by the actions of the 

 sambur and other deer ; if disturbed by him in a shola during 

 the intense heat of the day, the deer immediately resort to the 

 open, watching with eagerness the wood they have quitted, 

 and generally warning the neighbourhood with loud consecu- 

 tive bells. 



"That the tiger is stealthy and quiet in his movements we 

 all know ; that velvet paw of his, so soft, yet so formidable, 

 enables him to tread the woods and forests so noiselessly that 

 even the sharp-eared deer may often be taken by surprise and 

 fall a victim to its blows. 



" There is also another mode of craftiness adopted by a tiger 

 in approaching game, and that is, the tiger often replies to the 

 bell of a sambur or the call of a deer, and he does so with a 

 short, impatient grunt, at the same time quietly stealing on 

 towards the sound of the deer's call. This answer of his 

 seems to elicit a reply from the deer, and so the tiger, ascer- 

 taining with tolerable precision the position of his prey, is 

 guided accordingly, stops his growling, and perchance secures 

 a victim. 



