(_Felis tigris mongolica_)
The tiger is, and apparently always has been, an essentially Asiatic
animal, although it enters south-eastern Europe in the Caucasus, whence
its range extends eastwards through Persia, Afghanistan, and India,
to Java and Sumatra, while northward it is found through China and
Mongolia to Korea and Amurland. Very noteworthy is its absence from
Ceylon, which seems to indicate that its original home was central
Asia, and that it is a comparatively recent immigrant into southern
Asia.
Four local races of the tiger are recognised by naturalists, namely,
the typical Indian tiger, the Persian tiger (_F. tigris virgata_), the
Javan tiger (_F. t. sondaica_), and the Manchurian or Siberian tiger
(_F. t. mongolica_ or _longipilis_). As regards splendour of coat, the
finest of these races is the Manchurian tiger, which differs from the
Indian race by the great length and woolliness of its winter coat and
the larger extent of white on the face, under-parts, and the inner side
of the limbs. It also appears to be a more stoutly built animal, and
attains a very large size. Its skin commands a very high price. From
both these races the Persian tiger, which is probably the one found in
the Caucasus, differs by the copious fringe of long hair on the cheeks,
throat, and under-parts; while it is also of inferior bodily size. The
Javan and Sumatran tiger, which may be the same as the one inhabiting
the Malay countries, differs from all the other three by the light
areas on the head, body and limbs being of small extent, ill-defined,
and dirty or buffish white in colour instead of pure white. In size it
is always relatively small, and appears to be the smallest of all. The
degree of development of the dark stripes appears to vary individually;
but the Persian race seems to be the most fully striped of all, and
shows in perfection the characteristic looping, or splitting of the
stripes.
The striped coat of the tiger seems designed to break up the outline of
the body, and thus to render the animal as inconspicuous as possible.
That it is not, as was once thought, a special adaptation to match the
surroundings of the animal in the jungles of Bengal, will be evident
from what is stated above as to the distribution of the tiger and its
comparatively recent entry into India.
Information is still required with regard to the habits of the
Manchurian tiger, which has only of recent years been hunted by
European sportsmen, or exhibited alive in zoological gardens. It
appears, however, that these northern tigers prey on almost all the
animals of their native country, from the largest to the smallest. In
summer they will overpower and kill such fierce animals as bears, while
in times of scarcity during the long winter they may be driven to prey
on mice and rats. To capture their victims they frequently resort
to the drinking-places of the latter, and in summer they likewise pay
constant visits to the salt-pans where the wapiti and other deer come
to lick the salt.
[Illustration]
Each pair of tigers generally frequents the same lair, which in
mountainous districts is concealed amid rocks, while in the plains the
requisite shelter is afforded by reed-brakes. In winter the tigers may
be completely snowed up in their retreats. As in India, the tigress
is reported to separate herself from the tiger a short time before
giving birth to her young; these being born in some dense thicket or
rocky cleft, their number varying from two to four. At birth they are
about the same size as lion-cubs, but are marked in the same fashion
as their parents, although clothed in more woolly coats. In India it
is generally stated that the female keeps apart from the male while
the cubs are young, although both parents have been seen with their
offspring. Like lions, tigers associate for the greater part of the
year in pairs, and are strictly monogamous.
Whether old tigers in Siberia turn man-eaters, after the fashion of
their brethren in India, does not appear to be known; but in much of
their range it is probable that they do not resort to this mode of
livelihood, on account of the sparseness of the population. It appears,
however, that throughout northern China and Siberia the natives regard
the tiger with much the same superstitious awe as do the natives of
Hindustan. All the Siberian natives consider the tiger as a being of
high nature, although the Tunguses look upon it as an evil spirit which
has come under the influence of the Shamans, or sorcerers.
Fossil bones from the New Siberian Islands indicate that the Manchurian
tiger once ranged beyond the Arctic Circle.