198 
THE TIGER. 
Should a flock of wild peacocks chance to 
approach his covert, however, he may give 
up his sport for that time: since, the moment 
they catch a sight of the monster, they begin 
to strut around him with trailing wings and 
expanded tails, making all the noise in their 
power, till every creature within hearing is 
apprized of his whereabouts.” 
“That seems very odd,” said Sidney. “I 
wonder why they do it.” 
“ That I cannot tell you ; but the fact is 
said to be well attested. The leading bull 
of a herd of buffaloes will often perceive 
the neighbourhood of the tiger and actually 
drive him away. 
“ When the tiger obtains a taste of human 
flesh, he prefers it to all other food, and will 
take the utmost pains to attain it. These 
man-eaters,—as they are called,—which are 
said to be usually females, commonly select 
a lair in the neighbourhood of some village, 
where a ruined fort or temple, deserted and 
overgrown with weeds, affords them a con¬ 
venient shelter. Here they take up their 
head-quarters; and woe to the villager who 
ventures out after dark or who seeks a se¬ 
cluded place to perform his ablutions. He 
