NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 37 



which it is desirable to have some trustworthy statistics. On 

 the subject of Tigers Mr, Simson writes : — 



"I have no need to tell you much about the natural history of the 

 Tiger; specimens are to be seen in every menagerie. But as to his size 

 you will have very different accounts. There was an article on this 

 subject, written by my friend Sir Joseph Fayrer, in ' Nature ' for November, 

 1878. The statements of many experienced sportsmen were recorded, my 

 own'among the number. I say there that no Tiger killed by me measured 

 more than eleven feet from snout to tail when properly measured. I have 

 shot with several of the gentlemen whose notes were recorded by Sir Joseph. 

 A curious thing happened when I was shooting with Mr. C. Shillingford, 

 which I will relate presently. Had that Tiger been measured before he 

 was skinned in my presence, I might have been able to say I had shot a 

 Tiger between eleven and twelve feet long ; but though I wounded the 

 animal when alive, I was not present when he was killed. I merely, to my 

 chagrin, was repeatedly shown the skin afterwards. I may remark that the 

 most experienced Tiger-shooter in my own service stated that he did not 

 think he had once killed one more than eleven feet and a few inches long ; 

 and I know he killed between four and five huudred Tigers. The conclusion 

 Sir Joseph comes to, after careful comparison of accounts, is that anything 

 over ten feet is very large, but that Tigers may exceed ten feet three inches, 

 and that, in a few rare and exceptional instances, eleven and even twelve 

 feet have been recorded. 



" Tigers vary greatly in size and weight ; those of the Tippera, Sylhet, 

 and Chittagong Hills are smaller in every way, as far as my experience 

 went, than those which inhabited the churs and riverain lands in the same 

 part of Bengal." 



To judge by the questions which are repeatedly put to us on 

 the subject, there seems to be much difference of opinion as to 

 the height which Elephants attain. On this point Mr. Simson 

 writes as follows : — 



" I cannot say much about exact heights. The largest Elephant I ever 

 rode or saw was one called ' Bruce,' which belonged to the Government stud 

 at Dacca ; it was, I believe, about ten feet high, and had only one tusk, 

 which was magnificent. This animal shook me to pieces ; I could not 

 shoot properly off him. Latterly he became so slow as to be almost a 

 nuisance when in line. 



" My own female Elephants, the large howdah ones, varied in size, 

 I think, from a little under seven feet to nearly eight at the shoulder ; I 

 never recorded the exact size. Mahouts and merchants who sold E>lephants 



