CARNARIA. CARNIVORA. 91 



the forest edges, or to the springs and drinking- 

 places of the rivers, at night fall, where he watches 

 for the feebler animals that throng thither, and se- 

 lects his fated victim. Not fearing man, he has been 

 a formidable scourge in many parts of the East ; and 

 though in the war which has been unceasingly 

 waged against him, reason has given to man the pre- 

 dominance of victory, it has not been obtained with- 

 out a fearful sacrifice of life; and still a terrible 

 revenge is often taken. Narratives of the boldness, 

 ferocity, and success of his attacks on man, are 

 familiar to every one. It crouches for its prey and 

 seizes it by a sudden bound, as the other Felida do ; 

 but the particular manner in which it slaughters the 

 victim is so curious, that we shall quote from Grif- 

 fith's Cuvier an account of one which was exhibited 

 by some Hindoos at Madras, to shew its manoeuvr- 

 ing in obtaining prey, "For the purpose of this 

 exhibition a sheep was fastened by a cord to a stake, 

 and the Tiger being brought in sight of it, imme- 

 diately crouched, and moving almost on its belly, 

 but slowly and cautiously, till within the distance of 

 a spring from the animal, leaped upon and struck it 

 down almost instantly dead, seizing it at the same 

 moment by the throat with its teeth. The Tiger 

 would then roll round on its back, holding the sheep 

 on its breast, and fixing the hind claws near the 

 throat of the animal, would kick, or push them sud- 

 denly backwards , and tear it open in an instant." 

 The common Cat when tickled, and biting half in 

 play, half in earnest, will often suddenly practise 



