44 TEE ROTAl TIGER OF BENGAL. 



readily found and shot, he likes the cool wet 

 grass, and will often take to the water. He 

 loves to select the viciaity of good food and water, 

 and to remain there for a season, until changing 

 oiroumstanees prompt removal elsewhere. The full- 

 grown tiger is not wantonly destructive : he kills 

 only to eat ; and when he is not hungry, unless pro- 

 voked, animals about him are safe, and he will re- 

 main near, or pass close to men and cattle without 

 molesting them. It is not so, as I have said, with 

 the younger tigers, or with the tigress when training 

 her young. They kill for mere sport. The con- 

 firmed man-eaters, preferring human flesh, establish 

 themselves where it is most easily procured, and 

 become more cunning, wary, and stealthy than 

 others ; it is said they are generally old animals. 

 The tiger seems to be particular about the state of 

 his claws, they are always kept sharp, polished, 

 carefully protected within the sheath of inte- 

 gument, and are kept from contact with the 

 ground, and thus remain pointed and clean, being 

 very formidable weapons, with which fearful 

 wounds are inflicted. Probably it is to keep them 

 in order, clean and bright, that the tiger is so fond 

 of scratching the bark of trees; and the deep 

 vertical scorings, up to a height of ten or twelve 

 feet, are often seen on the Indian fig or other 

 tree. They have favouiites which they select 

 or set apart for this purpose, and the scorings 

 are very deep and numerous. I remember a 



