THE ROYAL TIGER OF BENGAL. 21 



and perhaps in other islands of the Archipelago. Its 

 extreme range is from 50° to 65° north on the con- 

 fines of Siberia and China, to about 7° south in 

 Java and the Indian Archipelago ; from 143° east 

 in the island of Saghalien, to about 40° west towards 

 the shores of the Black Sea and the Caucasus. It is 

 a njistake, therefore, to regard the tiger only as a 

 tropical animal, though it is probable that the_ finest 

 are found in the warm regions; and none a-re 

 finer than those of Hindo8tan,_ and especially of 

 Bengal.* 



As has been said, there is only one species of tiger, 

 (the clouded tiger, or Felis macrocelis, being a 

 leopard), but no doubt he varies considerably in size, 

 and depth or brilliancy of colouring, according to 

 the climate, locality, and other circumstances. In 

 the colder regions the hair is longer, thicker, and 

 more fur like. My acquaintance with him has 

 been chiefly in Bengal and the Terai, which may be 

 regarded as his head-quarters in India ; and amongst 

 the finest specimens are those of Saugur Island and 

 the Sunderbunds at the mouth of the Hooghly. Like 

 cats, tigers attach themselves to certain localities, 

 and a good tiger beat is sure to continue to be so 



* Captain Lawson, in a recently pubUshed work, entitled 

 " Wanderings in New Guinea," describes an animal very similar 

 to the Bengal tiger, of wMoh. lie sliot three specimens in that 

 island. It is to be hoped that Captain Lawson -wiU publish a 

 more detailed account of this tiger, and of its exact geographical 

 position and range in New Guinea, where it has not hitherto 

 been supposed to exist. 



