THE MANCHURIAN TIGER 



(Felis tigris mongolica) 



THE tiger is, and apparently always has been, an essentially Asiatic animal, 

 although it enters south-eastern Europe in the Caucasus, whence its range 

 extends eastwards through Persia, Afghanistan, and India, to Java and 

 Sumatra, while northward it is found through China and Mongolia to Korea and 

 Amurland. Very noteworthy is its absence from Ceylon, which seems to indicate 

 that its original home was central Asia, and that it is a comparatively recent 

 immigrant into southern Asia. 



Four local races of the tiger are recognised by naturalists, namely, the typical 

 Indian tiger, the Persian tiger [F. tigris uirgata), the Javan tiger (F. t. sondaica), 

 and the Manchurian or Siberian tiger (F. t. mongolica or longipilis). As regards 

 splendour of coat, the finest of these races is the Manchurian tiger, which differs from 

 the Indian race by the great length and woolliness of its winter coat and the larger 

 extent of white on the face, under-parts, and the inner side of the limbs. It also 

 appears to be a more stoutly built animal, and attains a very large size. Its skin 

 commands a very high price. From both these races the Persian tiger, which is 

 probably the one found in the Caucasus, differs by the copious fringe of long hair on 

 the cheeks, throat, and under-parts ; while it is also of inferior bodily size. The 

 Javan and Sumatran tiger, which may be the same as the one inhabiting the Malay 

 countries, differs from all the other three by the light areas on the head, body and 

 limbs being of small extent, ill-defined, and dirty or bufhsh white in colour instead 

 of pure white. In size it is always relatively small, and appears to be the smallest 

 of all. The degree of development of the dark stripes appears to vary individually ; 

 but the Persian race seems to be the most fully striped of all, and shows in 

 perfection the characteristic looping, or splitting of the stripes. 



The striped coat of the tiger seems designed to break up the outline of the 

 body, and thus to render the animal as inconspicuous as possible. That it is not, 

 as was once thought, a special adaptation to match the surroundings of the animal 

 in the jungles of Bengal, will be evident from what is stated above as to the 

 distribution of the tiger and its comparatively recent entry into India. 



Information is still required with regard to the habits of the Manchurian tiger, 

 which has only of recent years been hunted by European sportsmen, or exhibited 

 alive in zoological gardens. It appears, however, that these northern tigers prey 

 on almost all the animals of their native country, from the largest to the smallest. 

 In summer they will overpower and kill such fierce animals as bears, while in 

 times of scarcity during the long winter they may be driven to prey on mice and 



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