This animal, of which there is but one species, is found in the
southern parts of Asia, and the adjacent islands. It is inferior only
to the lion in strength, size, and courage. The body is long, the legs
rather short, the eyes glassy, and the countenance haggard, savage, and
ferocious. It has strength to seize a man and carry him off at full
gallop, and its ferocity leads it to slay beyond its desire for food.
In contrast to these hideous qualities, its skin is marked with a
singular beauty, being of a fawn color, splendidly striped downward
with black bands. Its step resembles that of a cat. When taken young,
and kindly treated, it grows familiar, and exhibits gentleness and
affection towards its keeper.
_Miscellaneous Anecdotes._--Of the muscular powers of the tiger we
have the following illustration: A buffalo, belonging to a peasant in
the East Indies, having fallen into a quagmire, the man was himself
unable to extricate it, and went to call the assistance of his
neighbors. Meanwhile, a large tiger, coming to the spot, seized upon
the buffalo, and dragged him out. When the men came to the place, they
saw the tiger, with the buffalo thrown over his shoulder, in the act of
retiring with him towards the jungle. No sooner, however, did he
observe the men, than he let fall the dead animal, and precipitately
escaped. On coming up, they found the buffalo quite dead, and his whole
blood sucked out. Some idea may be gained of the immense power of the
tiger, when it is mentioned that the ordinary weight of a buffalo is
above a thousand pounds, and consequently considerably more than double
its own weight.
The effect of feeding the tiger upon raw flesh, is shown by the
following anecdote: A party of gentlemen, from Bombay, found, one day,
in a cavern, a tiger's whelp, which was hidden in an obscure corner.
Snatching it up hastily, they cautiously retreated. Being left entirely
at liberty, and well fed, the tiger became tame, like the dog, grew
rapidly, and appeared entirely domesticated. At length it attained a
great size, and began to inspire terror by its tremendous strength and
power, notwithstanding its gentleness. Up to this moment, it had been
studiously kept from raw meat. But, unfortunately, during its rambles,
a piece of flesh dripping with blood fell in its way. The instant it
had tasted it, something like madness seemed to seize the animal; a
destructive principle, hitherto dormant, was kindled: it darted
fiercely, and with glowing eyes, upon its prey--tore it with fury to
pieces, and, growling and roaring in the most frightful manner, rushed
off, and disappeared in the jungle.
Tigers are sometimes very cunning. One of them was kept at a French
factory, at Silsceri, which was secured by a strong chain. This animal
used to scatter a portion of the rice that was set before him as far
round the front of his den as possible. This enticed the poultry to
come and pick it up. The tiger pretended to be asleep, in order to
induce them to approach nearer, when he suddenly sprang upon them, and
seldom failed to make several of them his prey.
This animal is susceptible of strong attachments. An instance of this
is recorded of a tigress of great beauty in the Tower at London. She
was extremely docile in her passage home from Calcutta, was allowed to
run about the vessel, and became exceedingly familiar with the sailors.
On her arrival in London, however, her temper became irascible, and
even dangerous, and she exhibited for some days a savage and sulky
disposition.
Shortly after, a sailor, who had had charge of her on board the ship,
came to the Tower, and begged permission to enter her den. No sooner
did she recognize her old friend, than she fawned upon him, licked and
caressed him, exhibiting the most extravagant signs of pleasure; and,
when he left her, she whined and cried the whole day afterwards. In
time, however, she became reconciled to her new keeper and residence.
Some years ago, a tame tiger was led about Madras by some of the
natives, without any other restraint than a muzzle, and a small chain
round his neck. The men lived by exhibiting, to the curious, the
tiger's method of seizing his prey. The manner in which they showed
this, was by fastening a sheep to a stake driven into the earth. The
tiger was no sooner brought in sight of it than he crouched, and moved
along the ground on his belly, slowly and cautiously, till he came
within the limits of a bound, when he sprang upon the sheep with the
rapidity of an arrow, and struck it dead in an instant.
Although the tigress sometimes destroys her young ones, she generally
shows much anxiety for them. Two cubs were once discovered by some
villagers, in India, while their mother was in quest of prey, and
presented by them to a gentleman, who had them put in his stable. The
creatures made piteous howlings every night, which at last reached the
ears of the mother. She came to the spot, and answered their cries by
hideous howlings, which so alarmed their keeper that he let the cubs
loose, for fear the dam would break the door of the stable. Nothing was
seen of them the next morning; the tigress had carried them both off
into the jungle.
The tiger is often hunted in India, and frequently the sportsmen are
mounted upon elephants. Sometimes the animal is shot, and occasionally
he is trodden to death, or laid prostrate on the earth, by the tramp of
the elephant. Numerous anecdotes are told of these rencounters, all
tending to show the fierce and formidable character of the tiger. It is
much more active and ferocious than the lion, and is also more
dangerous to the inhabitants who live in the vicinity of its retreats.