128 DIVISION I. VERTEBRAL ANIMALS. — CLASS L MAMMALIA. 



tlie courses of her mnjcstic rivers liarbor thousands of them ; for water is 

 ahuost as iiHlis})cnsaI)lo for tlieir nourishment as food. 



Tlie ti^'er is a nocturnal animal, lying during the day in the deepest shade 

 of the forest, and hunting liis prey at dawn, generally at the springs and 

 drinking-places of the rivers, where various animals nnist come to drink, 

 and from Mhieh he selects his morning repast. His strength is so great no 

 animal hut the elephant ran withstand hiiu. Thi^ following instance of his 

 remarkahlc power is related. A hnffalo, belonging to a peasant in the 

 East Indies, ha\ ing fallen into a quagmire, the man was himself unaljle to 

 extricate it, and went to call the assistance of Ids neighhors. ^leanwhilc a 

 large tiger coming to t!ic spot, seized upon the hail'alo and drag'gcd him out. 

 AA'hen the men came to the phu-e, they s;'.w the tiger, with the huifalo thrown, 

 over his shotdder, in the act of ri'tiring with him towards the jiir.glc. No 

 sooner, howe\er, did lie observe the man than he let i'ali the <lcad animal, 

 and prcci[iitately escajicd. On coming up, they foimd the bulHilo quite 

 dead, and his whole blood sucked out. Serine idea, may be gained of the 

 immense power of the tiger, \\ hen it is iiK'ntitmed that the ordinary weight 

 of a bull'alo is alnn'o a thousand pounds, and consequently considerably 

 more than double its own weight. 



" Ilrri' (■(luclicj llie I'aiitint; tiu'cr, on the watch; 

 Iiii|iatunt, lint umimved, liis iii-L'-h:ill eyes 

 Made liorriil Iwiliulit in thi' sunU'ss wooil, 

 Till on tlio lucilKss hullalo he Njiian;^', 

 iJra^tjrd the low-liillowinL;' inonNter to his lair; 

 Crashed Ihiouyh his lilis at onee into his heail ; 

 Quailed the liot bli}od, anil fjoryed the quivering llesh, 

 Till dumb lie hty, as powerless as the carcass."' 



The destructive habits of tigers arc so marked, and their depredations so 

 extensive, that every jiossiblc means is adopted to insure their destruction, 

 and nmch ingenuity is manifested by the natives iTi efl'ecting this end. 



jNIetiious of DESTiionNCi Ticu:i:s. — Among these in^'entions, and the 

 most succes.^ful, is tliat (jf shooting them with a poisoned arrow, from a 1ji:)W, 

 placed so as to be disengaged by the animal jiassing. The bow is made of 

 split bandioo, from six to eight feet in Icngtli, and at the middle from nine 

 to ten ine'hcs in girth. The string is of strcnig catgut, and often half an 

 inch in circmiifcrcnee. The bow is lixed with great nicety at the middle 

 by two stakes, distant enough to allow the arrow to pass freely without 

 touching, and jilaced at a distance from the gi'<iund, in proportion to the 

 size of the animal to be killed. The string is drawn back and fastened by 

 a wedge, to which a cord is attaclied, and strained moderatelv tight to a 

 stake on the opposite side of the ]iath to be tra^■ers('<l by the animal. The 

 tiger generally fdls within Uvo hundred yards of the i'atal shot, being fre- 



