THE ROYAL TIGER OF BENGAL, 



IN the foRowing pages it 'is proposed to give 

 a sketch of the natural history and habits of 

 the largest and most powerful of the cat tribe, 

 which from its size, strength, ferocity, and beauty, 

 claims supremacy over all congeners, not except- 

 ing even the lion, and is, therefore, well entitled 

 to the epithet " Royal," bestowed by naturalists, x 

 /Having seen somethiag of the tiger in his home, 

 and not unffequently encountered him in his native 

 swamps and jungle, the description will involve not 

 merely a zoological definition, but also an account 

 of his habits and mode of life, as well as of his 

 death./ 



The purpose is, in short, to consider him from a 

 field naturalist's point of view. 



It may be well to begin by stating the tiger's 

 position in the scale of animal life. 



