Ravages of the Tiger. 21 
them at the entrance, supposing that the tigers will be pleased 
with this hospitable reception, and pass on without doing them 
any harm.” 
Many of the foregoing facts leave no doubt of the 
greater ferocity and courage of the tiger as compared with 
the lion. There can be equally little question of his greater 
strength, which has been shown by Houghton to be only 69:9 
per cent. for the fore limb, and 65°9 per cent. for the hind limb 
in the lion, of the total in the corresponding limb in the tiger. 
The same authority states that five men can easily hold down 
a lion, whereas nine are required to control a tiger. To this 
may be added the testimony of Martial, from actual observa- 
tion of the contests in the arenas, where the tigers always 
lulled their antagonists, the lions. 
One of the greatest living authorities on the subject, Sir 
Joseph Fayrer, who will have nothing to do with the tiger 
preserver’s plea, has devoted much consideration to the best 
means of exterminating the carnivora as well as reptiles, and has 
urged the Government of India to take up the work systemati- 
cally, in the firm conviction that the agricultural interests of the 
country imperatively demand relief from this heavy tax on 
human and animal life. Should there be any doubt about the 
necessity for this, we have only to turn to the official reports 
issued from time to time, which, however, fall far short of the 
actual figures, since it is impossible to induce the natives to 
supply full information. In 1881, the number of wild animals 
destroyed was 15,279, of which 10,483 were carnivora, 1557 being 
tigers. The loss of human life was 1459, of which the large 
number of 889 was due to tigers. The destruction of domestic 
animals by carnivora is probably not less than 40,000 annually. 
A reward of from 10 to 50 rupees, according to circumstances, 
for the head of a tiger, then, would be as good an investment as 
it would be possible to make in the interests of the agricultural 
classes, even were their property alone taken into consideration. 
Before many years have elapsed, in all probability there will be 
established throughout the whole country an organised system, 
