THE ROYAL TIGER OF BENGAL. 43 



In 1868 the Magistrate of Grodavery reported " that 

 part of the country was over-run with tigers, every 

 village having suffered from the ravages of man- 

 eaters. No road was safe, and a few days before his 

 arrival at Kondola, a tiger charged a large hody of 

 villagers within a few hundred yards of the civil 

 station." 



Again, it is reported that one tigress, in 1869, 

 killed 127 people, and stopped a public road for 

 many weeks, and was finally killed by the opportune, 

 arrival of an English sportsman.^' 



Other instances might be added, but the above are 

 sufficient to prove how fierce and destructive tigers, 

 can be, not only to cattle and other lower animals, 

 but to human beings. 



We are startled by its magnitude, when we read 

 Captain Eogers' statement "that the loss of pro- 

 perty which the ravages of the carnivora entailed 

 amounted annually to ten million pounds." Great 

 it no doubt is, but we would hope that Captain 

 E. has over-estimated the amount. It would be 

 interesting to know how much — a large share no 

 doubt — is attributable to tigers alone. 



The tiger likes to be at rest in his cover, to bask 

 in the sun, or recline in the shade, according to 

 the weather ; in the great heats, when he is most 



