112 TIGERS. 



of an Anatomist, Artist, or Philosopher. It 

 combines beauty and elegance of proportion, 

 with immense strength and intricacy of me- 

 chanism, beyond the power of human contri- 

 vance. Each claw has a tendinous communi- 

 cation with strong muscles, and is kept in a 

 retractile state, that its sharpness may not be 

 injured by walking. Whenever a tiger 

 strikes at any animal, not only the claws enter 

 it, but the toes often follow ; I have frequently 

 probed wounds, made by them, to the depth 

 of at least five inches. 



It should be observed that the claws and 

 toes together, are rarely, if ever, of that 

 length ; but the force of the blow, compresses 

 the soft parts, and although they do not pene- 

 trate deeper than three or four inches; yet 

 when the parts compressed resume their natu- 

 ral state, the wounds appear much deeper. 

 With what force they are capable of striking 

 may be judged from the following circum- 

 stance.- A Battalion of Bengal native infan- 

 try was marching up the new road, on its 



