178 THE TIGERS PARTIALITY TO PUTRID FLESH. 



evidently returned at night, and after demolishing a large 

 portion of the rotten carcass, had coolly walked off with 

 my prize, i.e., the caput. To be baulked in this impudent 

 manner riled me not a little, and I searched far and wide for 

 either my stolen property, or the bold thief, or both, but I 

 Was altogether unsuccessful. However, Mr. Tiger taught 

 me a lesson then which has stood me in good stead ever 

 afterwards, as I could never forget the cool way in which I 

 had been so cleverly done. 



" The plan usually adopted by the tiger is to allow the 

 game he has killed, or others have killed to remain till the 

 flesh stinks and becomes soft, when he sets to and devours all 

 he can, in fact gormandizes himself to a fearful extent, so 

 much so, that he becomes slothful for a time and remains 

 generally close to the spot. But the tiger, while his food 

 is commencing to undergo the process of decomposition, in 

 order to suit his vitiated palate, is careful to remain in close 

 proximity to it, lest some intruder should make away with the 

 carrion. I, on several occasions, have seen the bodies of 

 wood-cutters, who have been taken away by tigers, rescued 

 several days after, close to the lairs of the man - eaters, 

 almost untouched. I once most unexpectedly disturbed a 

 brace of tigers, apparently male and female, in fine, 

 husband and wife, feasting on the putrid remains of a 

 rhinocerous killed a week before. Par parenthese, one of 

 above tigers was shot the next day while feeding on the 

 perfectly rotten remnants of the rhino." 



" The above array of facts ought to convince all, aye, 

 even the most sceptical, that tigers will eat game killed 

 by the shikarie, and that they relish it when it is putres- 

 cent. 



