380 CARNIVORES. 



the time. A tiger can go much longer than this without food without serious 

 inconvenience." Like lions, tigers are bad climbers, ascending trees but rarely, and, 

 according to Mr. Blanford, being quite incapable of ascending a vertical stem, no 

 matter what may be its dimensions. But, when aided by a sloping stem, or 

 by a fork at some distance from the ground into which they can spring and 

 thence obtain a fresh start, tigers will occasionally attack sportsmen who 

 are waiting for them in trees. It is also stated that, when caught by inunda- 

 tions, tigers will endeavour to escape by climbing. Stems of trees, especially 

 certain particular favourites, are in tiger-haunted districts marked by the vertical 

 scorings in the bark made by the claws of tigers ; these markings not unf requently 

 extending to a height of at least ten feet. 



The idea that tigers are in the general habit of springing appears to be a 

 popular delusion ; and, according to Mr. Blanford, it is but rarely that they move 

 their hind-legs from the ground, except when they have occasion to clear a fence 

 or other obstacle. When so inclined, they are undoubtedly able to spring to a 

 considerable height; and an instance is on record of a tiger having, at a single 

 spring, pulled a native from a tree, at a distance of eighteen feet from the ground. 

 Mr. Sanderson gives fifteen feet as the maximum horizontal distance that a tiger 

 can spring. " The tiger's usual attack/' writes Sir J. Fayrer, " is a rush, accom- 

 panied by a series of short deep growls or roars, in which he evidently thinks he 

 will do much by intimidation ; when he charges home he rises on the hind-feet, 

 seizes with the teeth and claws, and endeavours and often succeeds in pulling down 

 the object seized." The mention of the tiger's attack reminds us that, according to 

 Sir Samuel Baker, it is but comparatively rare that one of these animals, when 

 suddenly and unexpectedly disturbed, will fly at a human being. " The truth is 

 that the tiger seldom attacks to actually kill, unless it is driven, or wounded in a 

 hunt. It will frequently charge with a short roar if suddenly disturbed, but it 

 does not intend to charge home, and a shout from a native will be sufficient to turn 

 it aside ; it will then dash forward and disappear, probably as glad to lose sight of 

 the man as he is at his escape from danger." 



In many of the foregoing traits of character the tiger resembles more 

 or less closely the lion; but whereas the latter is an extremely noisy animal, 

 the former roars much less frequently. Mr. Blanford, who has especially 

 called attention to this difference in the habits of the two animals, observes 

 that, where lions " are common, scarcely an evening passes without their being 

 repeatedly heard. I have often been in places where tigers were equally 

 abundant, but it is the exception for their roaring to attract attention. Their 

 usual call is very similar to that of the lion a prolonged, moaning, thrilling sound, 

 repeated twice or thrice, becoming louder and quicker, and ending with three or 

 four repetitions of the last portion of it. Besides this there is a peculiar loud 'woof ' 

 produced when the animal is disturbed or surprised, a growl that it utters when 

 provoked, and the well-known guttural sound of rage repeated two or three times 

 when it charges. When hit by a bullet a tiger generally roars, but tigresses, at all 

 events, very often do not : I have on three occasions, at least, known a tigress receive 

 a mortal wound and pass on without making a sound." 



With regard to the breeding of tigers, it appears that the number of cubs 



