62 WILD BEASTS OF THE WORLD 



Tigers inhabiting climates with a cold winter assume a thick long 

 coat at that time of year ; this fur is, however, less brilliant in colour, 

 and naturally does not show the stripes so well. In summer, judging 

 from the Zoological Society's pair, the Siberian Tiger is indistinguishable 

 from the Indian animal. 



The fact that Tigers inhabit Siberia at all comes as a surprise to 

 most people ; but as a matter of fact the Tiger is essentially Asiatic, 

 not " merely Indian. He is found in the West on the southern shores 

 of the Caspian, the ancient Hyrcania, and he extends through Persia 

 and Central Asia, India and Burma, up to Saghalien in one direction 

 and Java in the other, so that he must be able to bear great ex- 

 tremes of climate. In India his distribution is curious; he has never 

 reached Ceylon, and he does not range high up in the Himalayas, in 

 spite of his power of enduring cold. He has no aversion to wet low- 

 iying localities, and, indeed, is never found far away from any water. 

 He wallows in hot weather, and will swim long distances. 



As ancient classical literature chiefly knows the Tiger as a Hyrcanian 

 animal, and in consideration of the evidence afforded by the beast's 

 distribution to-day, it would seem that he is a comparatively recent 

 immigrant into India, or at any rate that he was formerly far less 

 common there. The recession of the Lion in that country may have 

 been caused by the invasion of this rival, for the two animals would 

 certainly not live in peace side by side. 



One often reads of " Tigers " in Africa and America ; but in this 

 case the name is wrongly applied. In South Africa the Leopard is 

 commonly called Tiger, while the Tiger of America is really the Jaguar. 



The Tiger is, though it hardly ever climbs trees, a forest animal, 

 and, like most Cats, nocturnal in habit and generally solitary, though, 

 a pair may be found together, or a Tigress with cubs. His food, like 

 that of the Lion, consists of large animals as a rule, but in case of 

 need he will devour almost anything living, down to frogs and locusts, 

 and has no aversion to making a meal of carrion. 



Like the Lion, he attacks the neck of his prey, and begins his meal 

 on the carcase at the hind-quarters. In the ordinary way he does not. 



