THE TIGER 215 



habits and range ; and they may be roughly classed into 

 those which habitually prey on wild animals, those which 

 Hve chiefly on domestic cattle, and a few that confine their 

 diet to the human species. Not, of course, that any tiger 

 adheres invariably to the same sort of prey. But there are 

 a large number that appear to prefer each of the former 

 methods of existence, and a few that select the latter. 



The regular game-killing tiger is retired in his habits, 

 living chiefly among the hills, retreating readily from man, 

 and is altogether a very innocuous animal, if not even posi- 

 tively beneficial in keeping down the herds of deer and nilgai 

 that prey upon the crops. His hot- weather haunt is usually 

 some rocky ravine among the hills, where pools of water 

 remain, and shelving rocks or overhanging trees afford 

 him shelter from the sun. He is a Hght-made beast (called 

 by shikaris a lodhia bdgh), very active and enduring, and, 

 from this as weU as his shyness, generally diflS.cult to bring 

 to bag. 



The cattle-Ufter, again, is usually an older and heavier 

 animal (called oontia bdgh, from his faintly striped coat 

 resembhng the colour of a camel), very fleshy, and indis- 

 posed to severe exertion. In the cool season he follows 

 the herds of cattle wherever they go to graze ; and then, no 

 doubt, in the long damp grass brings many a head of game 

 also to bag. In the hot weather, however, the openness of 

 the forest and the numerous fallen leaves preclude a lazy 

 monster of this sort from getting at game; and he then 

 locates himself in some strong cover, close to water, and 

 in the neighbourhood of where the cattle are taken to 

 drink and graze about on the greener herbage then found 

 by the sides of streams, and, watching his opportunity, 

 kills a bullock as he requires it, and drags it into his cover. 

 Of course, a good many head of game are also killed by 

 such a tiger when they come to drink, but so long as he 

 can easily procure cattle, he does not trouble himself to 

 hunt for them. 



Native shikaris recognise more or less two kinds of tigers, 

 with the names I have given above. It may be matter for 

 speculation which is cause, and which is efiect. Is it that 

 as tigers grow old and heavy they take to the easier life of 



