0HDF.1! V. THE CAr.NIVOP.A. 129 



qiicntl}- struck tlirotigli tlic lungs, nnd often througli the licart, and the 

 poison, if less mortally "wounded, seldom fails to kill within the hour. 



A heavy beam is also sometimes susiiciided over the path, to which a 

 cord is attached, which is in like manner disengaged, aiul the animal is 

 crushed beneath the wood. Another method, said to be common in Persia, 

 is mentioned in the " Oriental Field iSports." "This device consists of a 

 large spherical cage, made of strong bamboos, or other efficient materials, 

 woven together, but lea\ing intervals throughout, of about three or four 

 inches broad. Under this cover, which is fastened to the ground by means 

 of pickets, in some place where tigers abound, a man provided with two or 

 three sliort, strong spears, takes post at night. Being accompa.nicd by a 

 dog, wiiich gives the alarm, or by a goat, which, by its agitation, answers 

 the same purpose, the ad\entm'er wraps himself up in his (piilt, and very 

 composedly goes to sleep, in fidl confidence of his safety, ^\'hcn a tiger 

 comes, and pei'hajis after smelling all around, begins to rear against the 

 cage, the man stabs him with one of his spears through the interstices of 

 the wicker-work, and rarely fiils of destroying the tiger, which is ordina- 

 rily found dead at no great distance in the morning." 



But the most curious and amusing of all is the following: "The track of 

 a tiger being ascertained, which, though not invarircbly the same, may yet 

 be known sufficiently for the purpose, the peasants collect a rpiantity of the 

 leaves of the prous, which are like those of the sycamore, and arc common 

 in most underwoods, as they form the largest portion in jungles in the north 

 of India. These leaves are smeared with a species of bird-lime, made by 

 bruising the berries of an indigenous tree by no means scarce. They arc 

 then strewed with the gluten ujjperniost, near to that opaque sjiot to which 

 it is understood the tiger usually resorts during the noontide heat. If by 

 chance the animal should tread on one of the smeared leaves, his fate may 

 be considered as decided. lie commences by shaking his paw, with the 

 view to remove the adhesive incumbrance, but finding no relief from that 

 expedient, he rubs the nuisance against his jaw, with the same intention, by 

 which means his eyes, ears, &c., become agglutinated, and occasion such 

 uneasiness as causes him to roll, perhajis, among manj- more of the smeared 

 leaves, till at length he becomes completely enveloped, and is deprived of 

 sight, and in this situation he may be compared to a man who has been 

 tarred and feathered. The an.\iety produced by this strange and novel 

 predicament soon discovers itself in dreadful bowlings, which serve to call 

 the watchful peasants, who in this state find no difficulty in shooting the 

 object of their detestation." 



Hunting the Tiger in India. — Expeditions against the tiger are fre- 

 quently arranged on a very extensive scale; sometimes, indeed, a hundred 

 NO. ly. 17 



