70 WILD SPORTS OF BURMA AND ASSAM 



" There is a peculiar and singular distinction in regard to 

 the mode of breaking up their prey between the tiger and the 

 panther, the former invariably commencing on the hind- 

 quarter of the animal slain, and the latter at the fore-quarters 

 or chest. There is no known reason for this strange difference, 

 but it is a well-established fact, and perfectly recognized by 

 all sportsmen, Europeans as well as natives." 



An officer thus describes the striking down of a cow which 

 he and others saw: 



" We were walking along the northern bank on our way to 

 our posts when we were stopped by the cry of ' Bagh hai ! ' 

 and looking down to the bed of the river we saw what 

 apparently was a very large tiger, stalking a herd of cattle 

 that had come down to water. We crouched down and had 

 the luck to see the whole affair. The tigress, as she proved to 

 be, when first seen was stealthily stalking a white cow, which 

 was some little way off from the main body of the herd, and, 

 taking advantage of. the slightly undulating bed of the river, 

 had probably approached across an open space of perhaps 

 500 yards before this cow had seen her; the rest of the 

 herd were behind one of the islands and could not yet see the 

 feline. The white cow allowed the tigress to approach to 

 within about 80 yards before she appeared to notice her 

 danger, and at first seemed to be fascinated by the appearance 

 of the brute creeping towards her, and it was only when the 

 tigress commenced to increase her pace to a trot that the cow 

 made off; the trot increased immediately to a lumbering 

 gallop, as the tigress had now got on to the firmer ground that 

 surrounded the islands, and in a very short time she skirted 

 over a small ridge into close proximity of the herd, which was 

 then commencing to scatter, on the news received from the 

 white cow. The gallop turned into a charge, and in a few 

 seconds the tigress had picked out a fine young cow, on whose 

 back she sprang, and they both rolled over together in a heap. 

 When the two animals were still again, we could distinctly 

 see the cow standing up with her neck embraced by the 

 tigress, who was evidently sucking her jugular ; the poor cow 

 made a few feeble efforts to release herself, which the tigress 

 resented by breaking her neck. The remainder of the herd, 

 after rushing wildly away, now returned to within 50 yards 



