Fkud^. MAMMALIA. Felid.®. 1 17 
over again been only too faithfully illustrated by 
the disastrous records of its ravages, which have ever 
and anon appeared on the page of history. Cruel, 
insidious, bloodthirsty, and malevolent — such is the 
character it bears; but there are some who would 
fain modify the force of this charge, and defend the 
character, if not protect the life, of this fearful scourge 
of man and beast. The tiger is certainly a very 
cowardly animal, although the naturalist Pennant 
has been sadly taken to task for having recorded and 
believed the fact, that one of these beasts had been 
frightened by the mere unfolding of an umbrella. 
Whilst a party of ladies and gentlemen were seated 
under the shade of some trees on the banks of a river 
in Bengal, they observed a tiger preparing to spring ; 
“ one of the ladies, with amazing presence of mind, 
laid hold of an umbrella, and furled it full in the 
animal’s face, which instantly retired, and gave the 
company^ an opportunity of removing from so terrible 
a neighbour.” Such is Pennant’s account, and although 
rather badly expressed, there can be no just reason for 
doubting its truthfulness. Confirmatory of this story, 
we have recently, through the columns of the Times, 
been made acquainted with the circumstance and 
results of a frightful attack, where a light umbrella 
proved, for the time at least, a most valuable instru- 
ment of defence. An English person, whose letter 
dates from Penang, February 10, 1859, writes; — “My 
escape from the tiger was truly miraculous, but that of 
Padre Cuellon was still more so, as the following 
details of the attack upon that worthy priest will 
clearly^ prove. The padre was on his way to church, 
and was immersed in the study of his sermon, when a 
tiger, to his utter surprise, suddenly rushed out of the 
jungle or tall grass ; but as the beast had not measured 
its distance to a nicety, the padre, walking very quickly, 
was more frightened than hurt. The tiger, however, 
brushed so close to him, that his trowsers were torn, 
the snap of the beast being almost within a hair’s- 
breadth of his leg. The brute, not contented with a 
single spring, made another charge upon the poor 
padre, and as he had nothing wherewith to defend 
himself but his large paper umbrella, he suddenly 
opened it out in the animal’s face, which had the effect 
of cowing it for a time. The tiger, however, evi- 
dently gamer or more pertinacious in his attacks than 
is wont with his tribe, charged the padre at least a 
dozen times, which occupied nearly twenty minutes. 
In the meantime the padre gradually edged towards a 
tree in an open space of ground, and as there was a 
large white ant’s nest between him and the tiger, round 
which the latter had to make, this enabled the padre 
to climb the tree and get out of his way. The tiger, 
on getting round the nest, was at first puzzled at not 
seeing his intended victim ; but in a few minutes he 
had his nose to the ground, and so scented the where- 
abouts of the padre. The tiger quietly sat down under 
the tree, and gave a wistful look upwards, but it was 
of no avail. The natives at length hearing the cries of 
the worthy padre, hastened to the spot, and rendered 
the assistance required. The tiger fled the instant it 
heard their shouts. The poor priest burst into tears, 
and sang the ‘ Te Deum,’ in token of gratitude for his 
delivery. Padre Cuellon, however, did not rally long; 
the fright had too serious an effect upon his system, and 
in about ten days he sank to rise no more.” We might 
furnish many other proofs of the cowardly conduct of 
the tiger. Captain Thomas Williamson — no mean 
authority, and no mere closet naturalist— deliberately 
gives it as his opinion, that the tiger is more of a coward 
than any other beast of prey ; “ its treacherous nature 
induces it, almost without exception, to conceal itself 
until its pi'ey may arrive within reach of its spring — be 
its victim either bulky or diminutive. Size seems to 
occasion no deviation in the tiger’s system of attack, 
which is founded on the art oi surprising. We find, 
accordingly, that such as happen to keep the opposite 
side of a road by which they are somewhat beyond the 
first spring, often escape injury ; the tiger being unwill- 
ing to be seen before he is felt. Hence it is rarely that 
a tiger pursues; but, if the situation permit, his cunning 
will not fail to effect his purpose ; he will steal along 
the road’s side among the bushes parallel with the 
traveller’s course, until one of the many chances which 
present themselves, of finding him within reach, 
induces to the attack. Often where the country is 
rather too open to allow his proceeding in this manner, 
the tiger will take a sweep among underwood or 
through ravines, in order to meet the traveller again, 
at a spot whence he may take his spring. Tigers are 
extremely partial to such sites as command a road, 
selecting one rather less frequented, in preference to 
one that is much in use. In the former they are cer- 
tain of finding as much as will answer their daily 
wants.” On one occasion, observes the same author, 
“ I was travelling past in my palankeen, through 
the Eamghur district, which is mountainous and little 
cultivated, being for the most part in a state of nature 
and everywhere abounding in jungles, when a hangy- 
wollah, who conveyed two baskets of linen and 
refreshments, and who preceded the palankeen about 
an hundred and fifty yards, set down his load and 
seated himself on the side of the road to rest awhile. 
About two yards behind him was a small bush, not much 
larger than a good-sized currant tree, round which a 
small quantity of jungle grass was growing to the 
height of about three feet. There was not another 
twig to be seen for at least half a mile on that side of 
the road. No sooner had the poor fellow seated him- 
self, than a tiger sprang from behind, or rather from 
within the bush, and, after giving the fatal blow with 
his paw, seized the man by the shoulder, and dragged 
him off with the utmost ease at a round pace, into a 
thick cover which had as formerly skirted the road, but 
which had by order of government been cut away to 
the distance of about a hundred yards, for the safety of 
travellers.” Some such deceitful plan is, in point of 
fact, the ordinary method adopted by the tiger for 
overcoming its prey. The melancholy death of Sir 
Elector Munro’s son took place in a similar manner. 
Several writers have recorded the incident, which, 
according to Mr. Wood, took place under the following 
circumstances : — “ This unfortunate gentleman, accom- 
panied by three of his friends, went on shore, December 
22, 1792, on Sawgar Island, to shoot deer. They 
continued their sport till the afternoon, when they 
