174 
A FAMILV OF TICIKRS, 
the hill followed by the tiger, the latter trotting after the 
deer and occasionally breaking into a canter, the deer trot- 
tmg on with its tail up. The tiger did not attempt to 
stalk except by remaining for a moment at a rock. The 
stag broke into a gallop and the tiger immediately folio wed 
it, just then my shikarie said, "look, there's another tiger 
above," and there was one bounding down the hill to cut 
off the deer, they all three disappeared in a dtp, and shordy 
afterwards we saw the stag making away at a good pace ; 
I watched some time hoping the tigers would re-appear, but 
I never saw them again. There were other sambur on the 
slopes and all of them were evidendy aware of tigers being 
about. 
I have occasionally come across a whole family of tigers ; 
I once saw five pass before me a very short distance off, they 
were evidently migrating, and 1 have the idea that the old 
tigers were taking their now nearly full grown cubs who were 
quite capable of providing for themselves, to a new hunting 
ground, with a gende hint not to come back to their parents. 
I believe the young remain with or near the old ones for 
some time after they are able to procure their own food; 
those 1 have seen with the parents were all nearly full grown. 
Much difference of opinion has prevailed as to tigers 
eating animals not killed by themselves and as to their pe- 
culiar preference to putrid flesh. The following extracts 
from a letter on this subject in the Oriim/a/ Sparling 
Magazine of 1874, fully corroborate my own experience 
Hawkeye whose experience as a shikarie in this coun- 
try amounts to litde short of half a century, and who may 
safely be reckoned a thoroughly competent authority in all 
that pertains to shikar^ writes thus 
