442 CLASS MAMMALIA. 



made to fall in a groove across the Tiger's back; at other 

 times it is noosed about the loins with strong ratans, or led 

 to ascend a plank nearly balanced, which, turning when it 

 has passed the centre, lets the animal fall upon sharp stakes 

 prepared below. Instances have occured of a Tiger being 

 caught by one of the former modes, which had many marks 

 in its body of the partial success of this last expedient. 

 The Tigers of Sumatra are very large and strong. They 

 are said to break the leg of a Horse or Buffalo with a 

 stroke of the fore-paw, and the largest prey they kill is, 

 without difficulty, dragged by them into the woods. This 

 they usually perform on the second night, being supposed 

 on the first to gratify themselves with sucking the blood 

 only. Time is by this delay afforded to prepare for their 

 destruction ; and to the methods already enumerated, be- 

 sides shooting them, may be added that of placing a vessel 

 of water strongly impregnated with arsenic near the car- 

 cass, which is fastened to a tree, to prevent its being car- 

 ried off. The Tiger having satiated itself with the flesh, 

 is prompted to assuage its thirst with the tempting liquor 

 at hand, and perishes in the indulgence. 



Buffon's assertion, however, that the nature of the Tiger 

 is perfectly incapable of improvement, is rather too strong, 

 as many instances have evinced since the time that Buffon 

 wrote. A full-grown Tiger was lately in the possession of 

 some of the natives at Madras, who exhibited it held 

 merely by a chain ; it was indeed kept muzzled, except 

 when it was allowed (which was occasionally done) to make 

 an attack on some animal, in order to exhibit the mode of 

 its manoeuvring in quest of prey. For the purpose of this 

 exhibition, a sheep in general was fastened by a cord to a 

 stake, and the Tiger being brought in sight of it, imme- 

 diately crouched, and moving almost on its belly, but slowly 

 and cautiously, till within the distance of a spring from the 

 animal, leapt upon and struck it down almost instantly 



