THE TIGER. 57 



opportunities. On the evening of the 20th October 1816, a 

 lioness made her escape from a travelling menagerie which was 

 drawn up on the road-side, about seven miles from the town 

 of Salisbury. It was about eight o'clock, and quite dark, and 

 the Exeter mail was passing when the animal suddenly darted 

 forward, and springing at the throat of the off-leader, fastened 

 the talons of her fore-feet on each side of the neck, close to the 

 horse's head, while those of the hind-feet were forced into the chest. 

 In this situation she hung, while the blood streamed from the 

 agonized creature, as if a vein had been opened by a lancet. 

 It may be easily supposed, that the alarm excited by this 

 encounter, was very great. Two inside passengers instantly 

 dashed out of the coach and fled to a house on the road- 

 side. The keeper of the caravan came, and immediately set 

 a large Newfoundland dog on the animal. The lioness, on 

 finding herself seized by the leg, quitted the horse, and 

 turned upon the dog, which the spectators expected would 

 very soon become the victim of her fury; but she was 

 contented with giving him only a slight pimishment, and 

 on hearing the voice of her keeper, retired under a 

 neighbouring straw rick, and gently allowed herself to be 

 secured. "This anecdote," says the writer, "is remarkably 

 characteristic, the moment that the animal found herself at 

 liberty, and an object of prey presented itself, all her original 

 propensities, hitherto restrained, were instantly called into 

 action; but no sooner did the voice of her keeper reach her 

 ears, than the force of long habit prevailed, she became 

 calm, and allowed herself to be bound, and led again to 

 her den." 



The Tiger. The tiger is one of the most beautiful, but at 

 the same time one of the most rapacious and destructive of 

 the whole animal race. It is found in the warm climates of 

 the East, especially in India and Siam. It so much resembles 

 the cat, as almost to induce us to consider the latter a tiger 

 in miniature. It lurks generally near a fountain, or on the 



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