TIGERS. 119 



tiger, that had not the marks of talons ; yet I 

 admit that the force with which a tiger gene- 

 rally strikes, is sufficient of itself without the 

 aid of his claws, to kill men or large animals, 

 and I believe that it occasionly takes place in 

 the manner I have described, but never from 

 its weight like the fall of a hammer. That 

 their talons are their destructive weapons, 1 

 think any one will be convinced, who will 

 give himself the trouble to examine their for- 

 mation, or if he will look at the foot of a cat, 

 which is in appearance a tiger in miniature, he 

 will observe the same, or nearly the same 

 wonderful contrivance and proportions ; and 

 does not thafanimal use his claws when he 

 strikes at a rat or mouse? It is absurd to 

 suppose that the remarkable fine muscles in a 

 tiger's fore leg connected as they are with the 

 talons, were intended for no purpose. 



In the month of April, when the weather 



was extremely hot, I was travelling between 



Ramghur and Belleah. Soon after I had 



passed the ghaut, a black cloud appeared in 



14 



