THE TIGBE. 45 



Afterwards Heliogabalus (a.d. 218 — 222), caused his chariot to be 

 drawn by tigers ; and among the collection prepared for the 

 younger Gordian and his triumphs, and which his successors ex- 

 hibited in the secular games, were ten Indian tigers, who, with 

 thirty African hyenas, were confronted with ten elk and as many 

 harmless camelopards. Severus also had tigers, and imported 

 them with him to Britain, together with other rare animals. The 

 remains of wild beasts of this description were found in a cave 

 at Kirkdale, in Yorkshire, and Eankin ^ thinks it probable that 

 these bones belonged to the animals slain in an amphitheatre that 

 existed somewhere near York, or Bboracum, which was the Eoman 

 capital of Britain for above 300 years and the headquarters of 

 the Roman Empire for more than three years. 



In modern times tigers have furnished the theme for many thrill- 

 ing narratives told by the various hunters who have given us their 

 adventures in the numerous books on Indian sports ; and there 

 are many families in England that mourn the loss of some 

 member who stimulated by the excitement attending it has paid 

 the penalty for his rashness in tiger-stalking. From these works 

 we soon learn that there is a great difference of opinion respecting 

 some of the habits of the tigers, from which we can only surmise 

 that their characteristics differ in the various districts, and that 

 each member of these crafty and terrible cats has an individuality 

 of its own. 



Although tigers are occasionally hunted on foot, the danger 

 incurred is too great to make this form of sport very popular, and 

 the general method is to use elephants trained for the purpose ; 

 the hunter riding in the houdah with a man behind with spare 

 guns in readiness, and the mahout or driver in front on the 

 elephant's neck, armed with a pointed iron rod, with which he 

 guides the huge creature and keeps him steady. Even in this 

 comparatively secure position accidents often occur, especially when 

 the animal attacked happens to be a ferociously-inclined tigress 

 with her cubs, for under such circumstances she will frequently 

 charge with a snarling, coughing growl, and springing on to 

 the elephant, clutch at the mahout, and hold on firmly with her 

 ' " Wars and Sports of the Mongols and Komans." 



