TEE ROYAL TIGES OF BENGAL. 3 



with eliarp retractile claws, and cusMoned with soft 

 pads on the under surface, which aid in giving the 

 noiseless, stealthy tread and vigorous spring. Active 

 by night and day , vision is adapted for either, the 

 ^upil dilate s widely in a feeble, while it c ontracts 

 to a _vertical__slit, or miSiitejo^^n_a_hlight_- 

 light . Hearing is acute ; speed, stren gth, and 

 agilit^USmarkable. The tongue covered with sharp 

 recurved firm, long papillse, which give it a rasp- 

 like appearance, and by which the remaining flesh, 

 that has escaped the teeth, is licked from the bones 

 of its prey. The clavicles, or collar-bones, are very 

 small and rudimentary, lying imbedded in the 

 well-developed muscles near the shoulder. 



The felidse are distributed generally over the globe, 

 except in Australia and Madagascar ; but the 

 species with which we are concerned is limited 

 entirely to Asia. T he Asiatic cats or f elidae were 

 divided by Blyth^tQ-Jiu:Be-.fflxa^ta,;=tha-pfiir(i in^, 

 the lynxine and the cheetah (F. lu bata'l. A 

 popular juMiyision _is_j_ntQ_Jiims,-iig£rSyJ.^^ 

 cats, and lynxes^ The cheetah (F. jubata), or hunt- 

 ing leopard, though associated in this arrangement 

 with the Felis pardus, or leopard, differs considerably 

 from that animal. The general appearance of the 

 tiger is so familiar that it seems almost super- 

 fluous to describe it. . Its figure denotes a combinat ion 

 of great strength, s uppleness, and agility , — the elon- 

 gaEe'd,"lithe, at the same time deep and compressed 

 body ; the oompaJaSvely'short but vigorous_Jimbs, - - 



