378 CARNIVORES. 



Indeed, the vertical stripes of ta\vny orange and black on the skin of the tiger 

 harmonise so exactly with the broad blades of yellow grass, separated by e(iually 

 broad lines of blackest shade, that it is often difficult indeed to distinguish the 

 animal from his surroundings when seen in his native jungle during an Indian 

 siunmer. And, in this connection, it is notewoi-thy that the tigers of Northern 

 Asia, where dry grass-jungles like those of India are unknown, are stated to have 

 the ground colour of their skins of a much less brilliant hue. 



The literature relating to the habits and mode of life of the tiger is even more 

 extensive than is the case with the lion : while that devoted to ticrer-shootino- is 

 simply appalling in quantity-. While the terms noble and majestic are those whicli 

 Avere formerly, and are often stiU applied to the lion, the epithets cunning and ci-uel 

 are moi-e generally assigned to the tiger ; while the word " tigerish " has become an 

 integral portion of our language to denote ferocious crueltj*. It maj- be doubted, 

 liowever, whether these epithets ai-e really more exclusively applicable to the one 

 than to the other animal, when the different conditions under which thej- live are 

 taken into account. It' is true, indeed, that the amount of damage done by tigers 

 is vasth' greater than that which can be charged to lions: but then it must be 

 remembered that, whereas the former frequently inhabit more or less densely- 

 populated districts, the latter ai-e often found in i-egions where there ai-e but few 

 human inhabitants, and but small numbei-s of cattle. Then again, the more 

 warlike nature of many of the African races, as compared with those of India, is 

 fatal to the existence of man-eating lions, whereas man-eating tigei-s in India are 

 frequently regarded with supei-stitious reverence, and no attempts are made at their 

 destruction. 



Although there is a great difference in the habits of in<lividual tigers, 

 according to whether they live on wild game killed in the jungles, or on domestic 

 cattle, or are man-eaters, yet the whole of them have certain charactere in common. 

 Thus, as a rule, the Indian tiger is a solitarj' and unsociable animal, although at 

 certain seasons of the year the pairs of males and females associate more or less 

 closely together. In all cases the male consorts ■with but a single female : but it has 

 not j'et been definitely ascertained Avhether this union is permanent. Occasionally, 

 however, as many as four, five, or even six, full-grown tigei-s have been seen in 

 company : and it appears that these are always family parties, the cubs having 

 remained with their parents till grown up. Like the lion, the tiger is essentially 

 nocturnal, Ipng concealed in the long grass or forests till evening, and then 

 issuing forth for its nightlj' prowls. Their wanderings during the cold and wet 

 seasons at least are considerable, and it is considered by Sir J. FajTer that at such 

 periods of the year they have no fixed abodes. During the hot season, however, 

 when the whole country is burnt up ^\-itli the heat, and the smaller streams, pools, 

 and tanks are drj'', the range of the Indian tiger ' becomes much more restricted. 

 At such times it takes up one definite " beat." haunting the banks of tlie rivei^s, and 

 patches of long grass which are kept fresh and green by growing near M'ater, or 

 in swampy ground. And it is remarkable, as Sir Samuel Baker obser\'es, that 

 when a tiger with a restricted beat is killed, in the course of a few months another 



1 As almost the whole of our knowledge of the habits of tigers is derived from India, our remarks apply in 

 great measure only to those of that country. 



