CARNIVORA. 
33 
supposed, on the first, to gratify themselves with 
sucking the blood only. Time is by this delay af- 
forded to prepare for their destruction ; and to the 
methods already enumerated, besides shooting them, 
may be added that of placing a vessel of water, 
strongly impregnated with arsenic, near the carcass, 
which is fastened to a tree, to prevent its being 
carried off. The tiger having satiated itself with 
the flesh, is prompted to assuage its thirst with the 
tempting liquor at hand, and perishes in the indul- 
gence. 
Buffon’s assertion, however, that the nature of the 
tiger is perfectly incapable of improvement, is rather 
too strong, as many instances have evinced since 
the time that Buffon wrote. A full-grown tiger was 
lately in the possession of some of the natives at 
Madras, who exhibited it held merely by a chain : 
it was, indeed, kept muzzled, except when it was 
allowed (which was occasionally done) to make an 
attack on some animal, in order to exhibit the mode 
of its manoeuvring in quest of prey. For the pur- 
pose of this exhibition a sheep, in general, was 
fastened by a cord to a stake, and the tiger being 
brought in sight of it immediately crouched, and 
moving almost on its belly, but slowly and cau^ 
tiously, till within the distance of a spring from the 
animal, leapt upon and struck it down almost in^ 
stantly dead, seizing it at the same moment by the 
throat with its teeth ; the tiger would then roll 
round on its back, holding the sheep on its breast. 
D 
