TIGER. 381 



produced at a birth usually varies from two to five, although it is said that there 

 are occasional instances where the litter includes as many as six. As the result of 

 his long experience, Mr. Sanderson gives two as the usual number, three being 

 much rarer, and only two instances of four in a litter having come under his 

 personal observation. Mr. Blanford states, however, that he has on more than one 

 occasion seen four cubs. When there are but two, it appears that while one is a 

 male the other is a female ; and this general equality in the sexes of a litter renders 

 it difficult, as Mr. Sanderson remarks, to account for the large preponderance of 

 adult tigresses over tigers. Tigresses appear to breed at all times of the year; 

 young cubs having been taken by Mr. Sanderson in the months of March, May, and 

 October. Tiger-cubs, which require a period of about three years to attain 

 maturity, remain with the tigers for the greater part of that time ; and, as already 

 mentioned, when several adult tigers are found together, the party is a family one. 

 Mr. Sanderson is of opinion that the tigress does not breed oftener than once in 

 two years ; while from the circumstance that the cubs do not attain maturity till 

 that period, Forsyth considered that once in three years was the minimum. In 

 captivity tigers breed much less freely than lions, and the cubs are far more 

 difficult to rear. Although when caught young tigers can be easily tamed, they 

 are more intractable than lions when taken at a later age. 



The food of individual tigers varies greatly, according as they frequent un- 

 inhabited or populous districts. The typical jungle tiger lives chiefly upon the 

 various species of deer, wild pigs, and antelopes ; but it will kill domestic cattle, 

 and will also eat porcupines, monkeys, peafowl, and other small animals. Although 

 full-grown buffalo and gaur are usually a match for it, young or feeble individuals 

 not unf requently fall victims to its attack ; and instances are recorded of young 

 elephants being killed and eaten. Adult bull gaur are, however, occasionally 

 killed by tigers ; the latter, according to the report of native herdsmen, inducing 

 the bulls to charge time after time, when they are wounded as they pass by 

 a blow on the flanks from the tiger's paw. Old wild boars will, it is said, not' 

 unf requently succeed in wounding and beating off a tiger; and the herds of 

 buffaloes defend themselves by forming in a half -circle, with the bulls facing the 

 foe. Moreover, even when a calf, or a weak or sickly adult individual has been 

 carried off, the old buffaloes are reported to combine and follow the tiger and 

 rescue the victim from his clutches. Much more rarely tigers will kill and eat the 

 Indian bear ; and Mr. Sanderson relates an instance of a tiger having habitually 

 taken to killing and eating those animals. That the male tiger will sometimes 

 devour his own offspring is well authenticated ; and Mr. Sanderson was informed, 

 on what he considers good authority, of an instance where three tigers devoured 

 another individual of their own species. 



The " kill " of the tiger is frequently kept until, in the hot climate of India, it 

 assumes a putrid condition ; and, in addition to carrion of this nature, there is good 

 evidence that tigers will eat the decomposing flesh of animals other than those 

 killed by themselves. The tigers dwelling near villages are, unless they are 

 man-eaters, in the habit of living more or less entirely on the small native cattle,, 

 which are generally, and especially in the dry season, in miserable condition. In 

 Central Asia, where, according to Eversmann, the tiger is abundant in the reed- 



