112 
THE TIGER. 
province of Bengal, the southern portion I 
which, towards the mouths of the Gang^®’ | 
forming a vast labyrinth of woody islnn^* 
called the Sunderbunds, may be called 
great rendezvous of these destructive animn^^' 
Of all the species of the cat family the tig^' 
is the largest, the strongest, and the 
ferocious; so completely resembling in 
the domestic cat, that the latter might almo** 
be called a tiger in miniature. It is as be^"' 
tiful as it is formidable. The purity of 
white colour about the forehead, and 
the throat and belly, is superbly contrasted W' 
the jet black of the stripes vpith which I 
face, back, sides, tail, and legs, are profus®^^ I 
marked, and by the bright reddish brown, aP** 
occasionally yellow, of the ground or prevail' 
ing tint of its hide. The enormous size 
it attains in Sumatra and Hindustan, combit*^ 
with these beautiful markings, causes 
skins from those countries to be favourite 
