94 SPORT IN BENGAL. 



three more jackals came cantering up out of the " sal " and 

 attacked my dogs in the most determined style, so that I had 

 to ride to their assistance with my hunting whip. This time 

 the cry may have conveyed some meaning beyond fear and 

 warning, though I think it was not so ; but that rousing up 

 the other jackals it caused them to run to the rescue of their 

 comrade on seeing his persecutors were only dogs no bigger 

 than themselves. On another occasion a jackal prowling 

 through a thicket having unexpectedly come upon a panther 

 crouching in the covert, started such a dance and song as 

 would have raised blushes to the cheeks of a whole tribe of 

 Red Indians on the war-path. Why that lazy beast of a 

 panther did not get up and stop the infernal howlings and 

 gyrations of this " provider " is more than I could then under- 

 stand, though now I think he liked them as tickling his 

 vanity ; however, he very soon had something else tickling 

 him, which he did not like so well. 



Be it understood that the above are the impressions of an 

 unscientific and unpoetical man, who may be quite mistaken, 

 and jackals, after all, may in some manner unknown to him 

 provide meat for their patrons by unmelodious songs and un- 

 canny dances. Any way, it is a most demoniac and unearthly 

 cry which chills the blood of the belated traveller who hears 

 it close to him as he follows a narrow jungle track still some 

 miles from home and safety. 



It is a subject of frequent remark that far more tigresses 

 than tigers are killed ; I should say about five of the former 

 to two cf the latter, of full or nearly full grown animals, 

 cubs not being taken into account. This may be attributed 

 to the operations of several causes known to the experienced. 

 Thus males will at pairing, or even other times, fight on 

 meeting, one or both dying of wounds then received. I have 

 picked up two large tigers thus grievously injured. Males 

 will sometimes assault young ones of the same sex which 

 may annoy them, or haply only approach too near when the 

 elder is out of temper. The older tigers lie up in the deepest 

 and most inaccessible coverts and are also the first to retreat 



