CHAPTER IV 
ON THE HABITS OF TIGERS 
Tuus far nothing has been written of the habits, the 
propensities, and temperament, of the Indian tiger ; 
and this may perhaps best be recorded by a con- 
sideration of how he may be hunted by the sports- 
man who has at his disposal merely the usual 
equipment of Englishmen in India, who, in the 
majority of cases, are not in a position to spend large 
sums on sport. 
The female has as a rule three or four cubs; I 
have never seen more with the mother, and probably 
their number is often reduced by untoward accidents 
during infancy. The permanent canine teeth are 
present at three years of age, when the young tigers 
measure from 7 feet to 8 feet in length, and until 
then they are not well able to support themselves— 
that is, they cannot kill the larger animals of the 
forest; and if for any reason deserted by the 
mother, they must content themselves with smaller 
game, such as peafowl, porcupines, and young deer 
or pig, which their extraordinary agility enables 
them to capture; in times of stress they will even 
feed on frogs, which may be found in large numbers 
in the drying pools during the winter and spring. 
The mother does not always remain close by the 
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