TELIS IIOEIS. 



95 



effect of the evil eye ; that the whiskers constitute a deadly poison, which 

 for this reason are carefully burnt off the instant the animal is killed. 

 Several of the lower castes eat his flesh." 



The late Major Sherwill, of the Revenue Survey, gave me some interest- 

 ing information on the habits of the tiger, as observed by him in the 

 Dmagepore district— the substance of which is as follows : — 



Tigers are very partial to certain localities, and avoid others to all 

 appearance quite as favorable cover. Year after year they will be found 

 in one locality and killed, and never be seen in another close at hand 

 apparently just as suitable. They are very fond of ruins, and may often 

 be seen lying on the top of old walls, temples, &c. ; sometimes three or 

 four together. Generally speaking the Bengal tiger is a harmless, timid 

 animal, but when wounded he becomes ferocious and dangerous. He 

 seldom molests man without provocation, and man-eaters are very scarce 

 in Bengal, except in the vicinity of the Sunderbuns. A tigress has from 

 two to four cubs at a time, which remain with her untU they are able to kill 

 for themselves. Young tigers are by far the most mischievous, occasion- 

 ally killing as many as four or five cows at once, whilst an old one seldom 

 kills more than what it requires for its food. An old tiger will kill a cow 

 about once a week, and for this purpose will quit its place of retreat in 

 dense jungle, proceed to the vicinity of a village and kill a bullock or cow. 

 It wUl remain near the ' hill ' for two or three days, and sometimes longer, 

 gnawing the bones before retreating to deep cover. A tigress deposits her 

 young in good cover. Two taken by Major Sherwill were laid under a 

 thorn bush in dense jungle. Null grass appears to be a favorite place for 

 breeding in. The mother appears much distressed on losing her young, 

 and for three or four nights afterwards remains at the spot roaring all 

 night in a very excited manner. 



The few remaining observations must be considered as supplementary 

 to the previous observations of Messrs. Elliot and Sherwill. When 

 once a tiger takes to killing man, it almost always perseveres in its en- 

 deavours to procure the same food ; and, in general, it has been found 

 that very old tigers, whose teeth are blunted or gone, and the vigour 

 of whose strength is faded, are those that relish human food, finding it 

 a much more easy prey than cattle. In some parts of Central India, 

 however, it appears to be more the rule than the exception ; and in the 

 Mundlah district, east from Jubbulpore, in 1856, and previous years, on 

 an average between two and three hundred villagers were killed annually. 



