The Zoologist — August, 1869. 1769 



Two Tiger Stories and one Elephant Story. 

 By R. Thompson, Esq. * 



TIGERS REPULSED BY A BULLOCK — TIGERS EATING PORCUPINES. 



About five years ago, when 1 was pitched at Raranuggiir, on the 

 Kosilla river, I was called up one morning, about two o'clock, by a 

 couple of native ghoteeas, or cow-herds, who had to tell me of a 

 tiger that had broken into their cattle shed that night ; of a bullock 

 he had killed, and of his being there crouching behind the carcase of 

 the dead beast up to the time of their leaving for my camp. 



The shed was about two miles from my tent : 1 started with the 

 men at a swinging trot, which brought us up to the place in about 

 half an hour. On being pointed out the shed, there were several 

 standing closely together on a bit of cleared spot in the jungle; 

 I went up to where there was a hole in the side of the grass wall : 

 this was made by the men who were inside along with their cattle 

 when the tiger had entered. Ou hearing the row which he made in 

 strangling the bullock, they had rushed out, breaking their way through: 

 escape by the doorway was entirely cut off to them, by the tiger 

 taking up his position near it. 



When I went up to the hole, putting my head in I was greeted 

 with a savage growl : I then got a torch made of a handful of lighted 

 grass, and, advancing inside, saw the head of a large full-grown male 

 tiger; he was so crouched behind the carcase that a fair shot was im- 

 possible. I then looked about, and seeing a ' muchan,' or place raised 

 above the level of the floor to stand milk upon to sour, I gave the 

 torch to a cow-herd, and told him when I gave the signal he was to 

 place it on the floor, put a handful more of grass over it and bolt : 

 the muchan was low enough, but I had considerable diflSculty in 

 scrambling clear of the pots, pans and milk-jars. Crouching in 

 amongst these, and lying as closely down as possible, I managed to 

 conceal myself pretty well : I then gave the signal : the cow-herd did 

 as I had told him, and bolted to join his fellows at the other sheds. 

 During the whole of the time occupied in arranging matters, the tiger 

 was keeping up a continuous growling, and more than once I sus- 

 pected he was going to charge, as he was only forty paces from us ; 

 but why he did not I cannot tell, nor can I imagine why he did not 



* Communicated by Charles Home, Esq. 

 SECONP SERIES — VOL. IV. 2 O 



