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BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 
the tip of the nose to the end of the tail, as the tiger lies on his side 
on the ground, following the curves of the body. If this method is 
fairly adopted, a tiger in Western India or the Central Provinces of 
over 10 feet. will be found to be very uncommon. A large number 
of adult tigers will be found to be under 9 feet, and I think my- 
self that the majority of tigers are under 9 feet 6 inches. The 
largest tigress, in my own experience, measured 9 fect 1 inch: they 
usually measure about 84 feet. There very probably is an occasional 
Chang among tigers of abnormal size, which may account for some 
of the exceptional measurements one reads about. If, however, one 
measures out 12 feet on the wall of a room and sketches in a tiger 
in the space measured out, one realizes that a 12-foot tiger would 
astonish one. Colonel Peyton, who had a very long experience in 
the Canara forests, mentions in his very interesting article on Tigers 
in Vol. 15 of the Bombay Gazetteer only five being shot in Canara 
over 10 feet, the largest being 10 feet 24 inches. Mr, Mulock, of 
the Bombay Civil Service, who has been at the death of as 
many tigers as any one on this side of India, tells me that to the 
best of his recollection he has only seen one or two over 10 feet. 
Mr. Sanderson in his book gives 9 fect 6 inches as the largest he 
killed, Captain Forsyth mentions, I think, only two over 10 fect. 
The usual mode of arriving at the size of tigers, though convenient, 
and. giving one a fair general idea, is sometimes deceptive, owing to 
the tail (which is included in the measurement), varying in length 
in different animals, so that a stoutly built tiger with a short tail 
does not have justice done tohim. The skull tells you at once whether 
the tiger was a large or smallone. Mr. Sterndale, in his “ Mammals 
of India,” has elaborate calculations showing from the measurement 
of the skull what length the tiger who owned the skull ought to 
have been. I have here the skulls of three tigresses which mea- 
sured 8 feet 9inches, 8 feet 6 inches, and 8 feet 5 inches, respectively, 
You will notice that there is hardly any difference in the size or 
general character of the skulls. Hereis the skull of a9 feet linch tiger 
which is much bigger in every way. The skull and frame of a tiger 
would, however, always be larger and stouter built than a tigress 
of the same length. Here is the skull of an 8 feet 9 inches tiger, 
Jompare it with the skull of the 8 feet 9 inches tigress, and you 
will see the difference. 
Tigers are supposed to breed only once in three yéars, which is 
unsatisfactory intelligence for the sportsman. The only reason for 
