392 JOURNAL, BOMB AY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVII. 



" length and size it is possible for a tiger to attain. I have ventured to 

 "record the result of my experience to assist towards settling this much 

 " controverted matter. During a career of over thirteen years, as a sports - 

 " man, chiefly in Northern Bengal, I have had the satisfaction of regis - 

 " tering the death of about 170 tigers. The measurements of some of the 

 " largest, both male and female, are appended below, in a tabular form. 

 " The dates on which they were shot, and the initials of the party present 

 " are also mentioned. Invariably all were measured prior to being skin- 

 " ned, and in presence of the assembled group of sportsmen, generally 

 " on the very spot where they had been killed, before being ' padded ' 

 " for removal to camp. 

 " The method of measuring is as follows : — 



" Applying the tape to the tip of the nose, it is carried along the middle 



• "of it, to between the ears, then along the vertebrae to the root 



" of the tail, which appendage being straightened out, the measure- 



"ment is completed to the end of it." 



It will be seen that " Joe " measured in the same way as the Maharaja of 



Bikanir's tigress was measured. 



The length of the largest tiger, shot on the 3rd November 1868, is given as 

 Il'.5". Four tigers 11' in length are recorded and detailed measurements of 

 ■one of these shot at Purneah are given, namely : — 

 Tiger.— 



" Joe " mentions 6 tigresses whose dimensions are larger than the one shot 

 by H. H. the Maharaja of Bikanir. These six measured 10'-2" (shot 15th Sep- 

 tember 1867), 9'-8" (6th November 1868), 9'-ll" (shot on 8th April 1870). 

 Amongst the shikar party was Lord Mayo (the Governor General), 9'-8" (22nd 

 August 1870), 9'-ll" (28th August), 9'-7" (22nd April 1872). 



" Joe " was firmly convinced that tigers in Central and Southern India never 

 grew to the same length as those in Bengal, he compares the dimensions of 

 the 11 ' tiger shot in Purneah, and which are given above, with another shot in 

 Southern India which measured : — 



Length 



Girth round chest 



Circumference round head 



Tail 



Round fore-arm . . 

 Height 



He writes :- — 



" The tiger of Bengal is simply built, with a small head, long tail, small 

 '' pug, and a smooth glossy skin, the black stripes are narrow and 

 '' very dark, with perfectly white coloured hair under the stomach. The 

 " habits are much more retiring and sequestered, and its depredations 

 " confined chiefly to cattle and wild animals, very seldom attacking 

 " human beings, even though chance offers an easy victim. I lived for 

 " seven years in one of the most tiger infested portions of this district 

 " during which period I shot 63 tigers, and only heard of some ten or 

 " twelve natives being killed, most of whom were shikarees out on 



