i S o THE TIGER. 



Upon the African continent, the lion reigns supreme, sole monarch over the feline 

 race. But in Asia his claim to undivided royalty are disputed by the TIGER, an 

 animal which equals the lion in size, strength, and activity, and certainly excels him 

 in the elegance of its form, the grace of its movements, and the beauty of its fur. The 

 range of the tiger is not so widely spread as that of the lion, for it is never found in 

 any portions of the New World, nor in Africa, and, except in certain districts, is but 

 rarely seen even in the countries where it takes up its residence. Some portions of 

 country there are, which are absolutely infested by this fierce animal, whose very 

 appearance is sufficient to throw the natives into a state of abject terror. 



In its color the Tiger presents a most beautiful arrangement of markings and contrast 

 of tints. On a bright tawny yellow ground, sundry dark stripes are placed, arranged, 

 as may be seen by the engraving, nearly at right angles with the body or limbs. Some 

 of these stripes are double, but the greater number are single dark streaks. The 

 under parts of the body, the chest, throat, and the long hair which tufts each side of the 

 face, are almost white, and upon these parts the stripes become very obscure, fading 

 gradually into the light tint of the fur. The tail is of a whiter hue than the upper 

 portions of the body, and is decorated in like manner with dark rings. 



So brilliantly adorned an animal would appear to be very conspicuous among even 

 the trees and bushes, and to thrust itself boldly upon the view. But there is no 

 animal that can hide itself more thoroughly than the Tiger, or which can walk through 

 the underwood with less betrayal of its presence. 



The vertical stripes of the body harmonize so well with the dry, dusky jungle grass 

 among which this creature loves to dwell, that the grass and fur are hardly distin- 

 guishable from each other except by a quick and experienced eye. A Tiger may thus 

 lie concealed so cleverly, that even when crouching among low and scanty vegetation, 

 it may be almost trodden on without being seen. The step too, is so quiet and stealthy, 

 that it gives no audible indication of the creature's whereabouts, and the Tiger has, 

 besides, a curious habit of drawing in its breath and flattening its fur, so as to reduce 

 its bulk as far as possible. When a Tiger thus slinks away from the hunters or from 

 any dreaded danger, it looks a most contemptible and cowardly creature, hardly to be 

 recognized in the fiery beast, which, when driven to bay, rushes, regardless of danger, 

 with fierce yells of rage and bristling hair, upon the foremost foe. 



When seeking its prey, it never appears to employ openly that active strength which 

 would seem so sure to attain its end, but creeps stealthily towards the object, availing 

 itself of every cover until it can spring upon the destined victim. Like the Lion, it has 

 often been known to stalk an unconscious animal, crawling after it as it moves along, 

 and following its steps in hopes of gaining a nearer approach. It has even been 

 known to stalk human beings in this fashion, the Tiger in question being one of those 

 terrible animals called " Man-eaters," on account of their destructive propensities. 

 It is said that there is an outward change caused in the tiger by the indulgence of this 

 man-slaying habit, and that a "Man-eater" can be distinguished from any other Tiger 

 by the darker tint of the skin, and a redness in the corner of the eyes. Not even the 

 Man-eating tiger dares an open assault, but crawls insidiously towards his prey, pre- 

 ferring, as does the lion, the defenceless women and children as the object of attack, 

 and leaving alone the men, who are seldom without arms. 



The tiger is very clever in selecting spots from whence it can watch the approach of 

 its intended prey, itself being couched under the shade of foliage or behind the screen 

 of some friendly rock. It is fond of lying in wait by the side of moderately frequented 

 roads, more particularly choosing those spots where the shade is the deepest, and 

 where water may be found at hand wherewith to quench the thirst that it always feels 

 when consuming its prey. From such a point of vantage it will leap with terrible 

 effect, seldom making above a single spring, and, as a rule, always being felt before it 

 is seen or heard. 



It is a curious fact that the Tiger generally takes up his post on the side of the road 

 which is opposite his lair, so that he has no need to turn and drag his prey across the 

 road, but proceeds forward with his acquisition to his den. Should the Tiger miss his 

 leap, he generally seems bewildered and ashamed of himself, and instead of returning to 



