932 



MISCELLANEOUS NOTES, 



No. I.— A WHITE TIGER IN CAPTIVITY. 



{With a photo.) 



We publish the photograph of a White Tiger which is at present in captivity 

 in the Maharaja's gardens at Rewa. The photo was forwarded to the Society 

 through .the agency of Capt. K. Evans Gordon. ]\'Ii". Janki Prasad, Home 

 Member, Council of Regency, Rewa, when sending the photo, supplied Capt. 

 Evans Gordon with the following details : — 



" The white tiger in captivity in Rewa was caught in December 1915 in the 

 jungles of the State near Sohagpur. He was about two years of age at the- 

 time. There were two more white tigers at the time in Southern Rewa related 

 to this tiger but it was believed that the mother of this animal Avas not white. 

 A big cage was kept for months in the jungle in which live pigs were placed 

 to attract the tiger. The Shikaries concealed themselves on a tree above the 

 cage and by a contrivance, a sort of door could be let down as soon as the tiger 

 was inside. The tiger was accordingly caught when inside the cage killing the 

 j)ig. A white tiger was killed by a Sardar in Sohagpur Tahasil, Southern Rewa,, 

 about 10 or 12 years ago. Two other tigers appeared in the beat near the- 

 Shahdol and Annuppur, B. N. Ry., but His late Highness' orders were that 

 these should not be shot. The one at Annuppur (Bliilam Dungari Jungle) was 

 said to be brother of the white tiger in captivity. These white tigers roam in 

 the neighbouring British Districts of the Central Provinces and seem to be living 

 in the Maikal ranges of mountains."' 



Mr. A. E. Scott of the Indian Police has very kindly furnished us with the- 



following description and notes in connection with the animal : — ■ 



Descriptio7i. (From examination of tiger on December 3rd, 1920.) 



Body Colour . . Pure white. No cream colour was visible. The 



' Creamy-Avbite' as described by Mr. Janki Prasad 



was probably due to the dirt of the cage. (The 



tiger is now better cared for than formerly.) 



Stripes . . Indistinct or light black, not brown as stated by 



Mr. Janki Prasad. While some of the stripes, 



particularly the face markings, are cpaite black, the 



majority are ash-coloured o\Adng to wliite hairs 



being mixed Avith the black. In the hot weather, 



the hair, as is the case with all felines, goes a, 



lighter colour, and the black stripes take on a 



shghtly broAvnish tinge, but this is never pronounced. 



Nose . = Mottled grey-pink (instead of pure pink as in 



normal tigers). 

 Lips . . Grey-black on hair-line but quickly merge to pink 



(instead of being quite black and gradually merging 

 to pink well inside the mouth as in normal tigers). 

 Eyes . . The colourings of the eyes are A^ery indistinct. 



There is no well-defined division betAA-een the yelloAv 

 of the comex and the blue of the iris. The eyes in 

 some hghts are practically colourless merely showing 

 the black pupil on a light yellow back ground. 

 Eyelids . . Pinkish-black. 



Ea7-s . . Practically normal in colour and markings. The: 



ground black is howcA-er slightly ashy. 



General description and Dis- The tiger is of course underdeA-eloped OAving to 



cushion vaarding identity, years of captiAdty, but in height lie is probably 



slightly above nor]nal and in a Anld state would 



undoubtedly have been an exceptionally large animaL 



