98 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



with hitn ; his features indicate him to be one of the Tharoo 

 tribe, who are found only in that forest. He is very inoffensive, 

 but speaks little, and that little imperfectly ; and he is still impa- 

 tient of intercourse with his fellow-men, particularly with such as 

 are disposed to tease him with questions. I asked him whether 

 he had any recollection of having been with Wolves ; he said, 

 " the Wolf died long before the old hermit ;" but he seemed 

 to recollect nothing more, and there is no mark on his knees or 

 elbows, to indicate that he ever went on all-fours. That he was 

 found as a wild boy in the forest there can be no doubt ; but I do 

 not feel at all sure that he ever lived with Wolves. From what I 

 have seen and heard, I should doubt that any boy who had been 

 many years with Wolves, up to the age of eight or ten, could 

 ever attain the average intellect of men. I have never heard of a 

 man who had been spared and nurtured by Wolves, having been 

 found ; and as many boys have been recovered from Wolves, 

 after they had been many years with them, we must conclude 

 that, after a time, they either die from living exclusively on 

 animal food, before they attain the age of manhood, or are des- 

 troyed by the Wolves themselves, or other beasts of prey in the 

 jungles, from whom they are unable to escape, like the Wolves 

 themselves, from want of the same speed. The Wolf or Wolves, 

 by whom they have been spared and nurtured, must die, or 

 be destroyed in a few years ; and other Wolves may kill and eat 

 them. Tigers generally feed for two or three days upon the bul- 

 lock they kill, and remain all the time, when not feeding, 

 concealed in the vicinity ; if they found such a boy feeding upon 

 their prey, they would certainly kill him, and most likely eat 

 him. If such a boy passed such a dead body, he would cer- 

 tainly feed upon it. Tigers often spring upon and kill dogs and 

 wolves thus found feeding upon their prey. They could more 

 easily kill boys, and would certainly be more disposed to eat 

 them. If the dead body of such a boy were found any where in 

 jungles, or on the plains, it would excite little interest, where 

 dead bodies are so often found exposed, and so soon eaten by 

 dogs, jackalls, vultures, &c, &c, and would scarcely ever lead 

 to any particular inquiry. 



