THE TiaER 217 



favourable places. I have twice known five, and once 

 seven, tigers to be driven out of one cover at tbe same 

 time ; and I think the season of love-making has something 

 to do with these meetings. More usually it is a solitary 

 male tiger, or a tiger and tigress, or a tigress with her grown- 

 up cubs, that are found in one place. The tigress cannot 

 breed more than once in three years, I beheve; for the 

 cubs almost invariably stay with her till they are over 

 two years old, and nearly full-grown. The greatest number 

 of cubs I have ever found with a tigress was three. These 

 were small, however, and I never saw more than two 

 grown-up along with the female. 



A single tiger will kill an ox about every five days, if 

 not disturbed, eating, if very hungry, both hind- quarters 

 the first night. He will not go further than he can help 

 after this meal, but wiU return again next night to the 

 carcase, which in the meantime he often stores away under 

 a bank, or covers with leaves, etc. This time he will finish 

 all but the head ; next night he will clean the bones ; and 

 then for a couple of days he will not take the trouble to hunt 

 for a meal, though he will strike down another quarry if it 

 comes near him. Should he have been fired at, however, 

 when thus returning to his kiU, he will frequently abandon 

 such measures of economy, and kill a fresh bullock when- 

 ever he is hungry. A tigress and grown cubs are also far 

 more destructive, finishing a bullock in a night, and, like 

 the daughters of the horseleech, always crying for more. 

 The young tigers seem to rejoice in the exercise of their 

 growing strength, springing up against trees and scratching 

 the bark as high as they can reach by way of gymnastics, 

 and, if they get among a herd of cattle, striking down as 

 many as they can get hold of. The tiger very seldom kills 

 his prey by the " sledge-hammer stroke " of his fore-paw, 

 so often talked about, the usual way being to seize with the 

 teeth by the nape of the neck, and at the same time use the 

 paws to hold the victim and give a purchase for the wrench 

 that dislocates the neck. 



Tigers that prey on cattle are generally perfectly well 

 known to the cowherds and others who resort to their 

 neighbourhood. They seldom molest men, and are often 



