174 A FAMILY OF TIGERS. 



the hill followed by the tiger, the latter trotting after the 

 deer and occasionally breaking into a canter, the deer trot- 

 ting on with its tail up. The tiger did not attempt to 

 stalk except by remaining for a moment at a rock. The 

 stag broke into a gallop and the tiger immediately followed 

 it, just then my shikarie said, " look, there's another tiger 

 above," and there was one bounding down the hill to cut 

 off the deer, they all three disappeared in a dip, and shortly 

 afterwards we saw the stag making away at a good pace ; 

 I watched some time hoping the tigers would re-appear, but 

 I never saw them again. There were other sambur on the 

 slopes and all of them were evidently aware of tigers being 

 about. 



I have occasionally come across a whole family of tigers ; 

 I once saw five pass before me a very short distance off, they 

 were evidently migrating, and I have the idea that the old 

 tigers were taking their now nearly full grown cubs who were 

 quite capable of providing for themselves, to a new hunting 

 ground, with a gentle hint not to come back to their parents. 

 I believe the young remain with or near the old ones for 

 some time after they are able to procure their own food ; 

 those I have seen with the parents were all nearly full grown. 



Much difference of opinion has prevailed as to tigers 

 eating animals not killed by themselves and as to their pe- 

 culiar preference to putrid flesh. The following extracts 

 from a letter on this subject in the Oriental Sporting 

 Magazine of 1874, fully corroborate my own experience : — 



" Hatvkeye whose experience as a shikarie in this coun- 

 try amounts to little short of half a century, and who may 

 safely be reckoned a thoroughly competent authority in all 

 that pertains to shikar, writes thus : — 



