34 ZOOLOGY OF INDIA. 



so firmly taken with his claws. The gentleman, who had 

 much ailo to keep his seat, was precludea firing at his grnn 

 companion, as well from his unprecedented situation, as 

 from the great danger of wounding some of the numerous 

 followers, who were exerting the utmost speed of their 

 respective elephants to come up to his assistance. The 

 constant desire felt to get rid of his unwelcome rider, which 

 produced a waving and irregular pace, gave the opportunity 

 for those who were mounted on light and speedy animals 

 to overtake the singular fugitives. Another gentleman of 

 the party, coming up close, was enabled to choose his posi- 

 tion ; when, taking safe aim, he shot the tiger, which fell to 

 the ground and required no further operation."* 



The following anecdote illustrates the character both of 

 the tiger and the sepoy. It is about twenty years ago since 

 Major Hull, the conimanding-officer of a battalion on the 

 Bombay establishment, was proceeding along the banks of 

 a ravine, with eight or ten men of his corps, in search of 

 some lions which had been seen near the cantonment of 

 Kaira in Guzerat, when a royal tiger suddenly sprang upon 

 him. The ground gave way, and the tiger and Major Hull 

 rolled too-ether to the bottom of the ravine. Though this 

 fall prevented the latter from being killed by the first assault, 

 still his fate seemed certain ; and those who know the terror 

 which this ferocious beast is wont to inspire can alone ap- 

 preciate the character of that bravery which induced every 

 sepoy who was with him to rush at once to his succour. 

 The tiger fell under their bayonets, though not before it had 

 desperately wounded two of the assailants, one of whom 

 lost his leg, and the other was so severely lacerated as to be 

 incapable of any future service. But they deemed their 

 wounds trivial when they saw that the officer whom they 

 loved had escaped unhurt from his perilous encounter.! 



The hunting-tiger or chittah {Felis juhata, Schreber) is 

 one of the most pictures{iue and elegant of the genus. It 

 is considerably less than the panther, and of a more slender 

 form. Its legs are proportionally higher, its ,ail longer, its 

 head somewhat smaller and shorter, than in any of its con- 

 geners. It may also be distinguished by a black line which 



* Oriental Field Sports, p. 72. 



t Uuarterly Review, vol. xviii. p. ifH. 



