3 8 ° 
CARNIVORES. 
the time. A tiger can go much longer than this without food without serious 
inconvenience.” Like lions, tigers are bad climbers, ascending trees but rarely, and, 
according to Mr. Blanford, being quite incapable of ascending a vertical stem, no 
matter what may be its dimensions. But, when aided by a sloping stem, or 
by a fork at some distance from the ground into which they can spring and 
thence obtain a fresh start, tigers will occasionally attack sportsmen who 
are waiting for them in trees. It is also stated that, when caught by inunda¬ 
tions, tigers will endeavour to escape by climbing. Stems of trees, especially 
certain particular favourites, are in tiger-haunted districts marked by the vertical 
scorings in the bark made by the claws of tigers; these markings not unfrequently 
extending to a height of at least ten feet. 
The idea that tigers are in the general habit of springing appears to be a 
popular delusion; and, according to Mr. Blanford, it is but rarely that they move 
their hind-legs from the ground, except when they have occasion to clear a fence 
or other obstacle. When so inclined, they are undoubtedly able to spring to a 
considerable height; and an instance is on record of a tiger having, at a single 
spring, pulled a native from a tree, at a distance of eighteen feet from the ground. 
Mr. Sanderson gives fifteen feet as the maximum horizontal distance that a tiger 
can spring. “The tiger’s usual attack,” writes Sir J. Fayrer, “is a rush, accom¬ 
panied by a series of short deep growls or roars, in which he evidently thinks he 
will do much by intimidation; when he charges home he rises on the hind-feet, 
seizes with the teeth and claws, and endeavours and often succeeds in pulling down 
the object seized.” The mention of the tiger’s attack reminds us that, according to 
Sir Samuel Baker, it is but comparatively rare that one of these animals, when 
suddenly and unexpectedly disturbed, will fly at a human being. “ The truth is 
that the tiger seldom attacks to actually kill, unless it is driven, or wounded in a 
hunt. It will frequently charge with a short roar if suddenly disturbed, but it 
does not intend to charge home, and a shout from a native will be sufficient to turn 
it aside; it will then dash forward and disappear, probably as glad to lose sight of 
the man as he is at his escape from danger.” 
In many of the foregoing traits of character the tiger resembles more 
or less closely the lion; but whereas the latter is an extremely noisy animal, 
the- former roars much less frequently. Mr. Blanford, who has especially 
called attention to this difference in the habits of the two animals, observes 
that, where lions “ are common, scarcely an evening passes without their being 
repeatedly heard. I have often been in places where tigers were equally 
abundant, but it is the exception for their roaring to attract attention. Their 
usual call is very similar to that of the lion—a prolonged, moaning, thrilling sound, 
repeated twice or thrice, becoming louder and quicker, and ending with three or 
four repetitions of the last portion of it. Besides this there is a peculiar loud ‘ woof ’ 
produced when the animal is disturbed or surprised, a growl that it utters when 
provoked, and the well-known guttural sound of rage repeated two or three times 
when it charges. When hit by a bullet a tiger generally roars, but tigresses, at all 
events, very often do not; I have on three occasions, at least, known a tigress receive 
a mortal wound and pass on without making a sound.” 
With regard to the breeding of tigers, it appears that the number of cubs 
