American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-12-18
Fauna OF HindOstan.

The immense variety and value OF ths
natural productions of India are no less
exhibited in the animal life that teens in
her jungles and forests than in the vege
tation that covers her soil with tropical
luxuriance, and in the mineral treasures
that make the earth in many districts a
mine of untold wealth. The wild beasts
that roam her plains, and provide royal
sport for the hunter include the lion, the
tiger, leopard, panther, bear, boar, wolf,
jackal, hyena, lynx, fox, bison, elephant,
rhInoceros, deer, gazelle, antelope and
neilgye. OF these, the nOblest Is the
tiger, which is larger, fiercer and stronger
than the lion, who has, from a pleasant
fiction, been regarded as the monarch of
the animal kingdom.
DIR. Fayrer says in his recent little book
on the :. Royal Tiger of Bengal" IN treat.
ing of the compa, alive qualities of the lion
scribed as inferior though nearly equal,
to the so-called king of beasts; but in
size, strength, activity and beauty he
really surpasses him, and therefore, though
he may neither be so courageous nor so
dgnified he is entitled te the first place
at all events in India; for there he is in
his home, whilst the lion, comparatively
rare, and confined to certain limited por-
tions of India, such as GuZerat, Gwalior
and few other localities, is, as it were,
the outlying and degenerate representative
of branch of fauna that attalns its
highest development in Africa; withal,
the largest tiger exceeds the largest lion
in size as much as in strength and activity"
Dr. Fayrer frequently measured speci-
mems that were more than ten feet from
the nose to the end of the tail. No lion
has ever attained that size. The number
of tigers seems to have increased in India
- 81, &c 81. L.
struction of human life is truly appalling.
In Lower Bengal alone it is stated that, in
the six years ending in 1866, 10, 400 persons
were slain by wild animals. OF this num-
Der 4,218 fell victims to tigers and 4,287
were killed by wolves. In Rangpore from
fifty-five to sixty people are annually torn
in pieces by wild beasts. A single tiger
has killed In three years time 10S per
sons. On one occasion the brute killed
father, mother and three children; and
in the week before it was shot it destroyed
twenty seven persons. Another tiger was
known to kill during three successive
years an average of eighty persons
annually. A third individual killed 1877
people in 1869 and actually broke up travel
on a highway for several weeks before it
was finally made away with. Sometimes
whole villages are deserted on account of
the depredations of one of these man.
slayers. According TO a Government re-
port in the central provinces "a single
tigress caused the desertion of thirteen vii
lagos and $50 square miles of country
were thrown out of cultivation
Many of the most dangerous of the wild
beasts prowl around the Immediate neigh
borhood of the cities, and sacrifice both
men and and domestic animals to their
fierce greed The bungalows provided
for travellers and the tents which sheltered
them in their journeys and hunting excur-
sions are frequently visited by these saw
age marauders. While NJ. Rousselet was
encamped in a bungalow on the plains
near Delhi there was intense agitation
excited among his men one evening by
the presence of hyena in the apartment
he occupied. No one dared enter the
room, as the intruder was supposed to be
panther. A mass of flaming rags was
thrown into the room, and by their light
the animal was discovered and dispatched.
1t proved to be full-siZed hyena; and
after peace was restored by its destruc-
ton the traveller retired to rest mot
without laughing heartily over the emo
tons of the evening and the episode Of
the hyena- hunt in a bed room"
Among the characteristic birds Of India
are peacocks-which are protected by .
special edict of the Hindoo Government
pheasants, pigeons, parrots, jungle-fowl,
the pagoda- thrush, bulbul, f1amingo, pei
lean and adjutant.
In some of the cities, as in Calcutta, the
adjutant is cherished as a valuable scav-
enger. The birds become very tame, be-
ing preserved from molestation, and walk
about in the crowded streets, or perch on
the submits of the buildings, searching
with their eagle eyes for prospect OF
booty. When erect the adjutant is above
five feet high-nearly the height of a man !;
and with its enormous bill-capable Of
swallowing a fowl or leg of mutton at a
gulp-its huge pouch underneath, bald
head and neck, and stork-like legs, it is a
curious creature to see in the heart of a
city. Their services in cleaning the
streets of filth are greatly prized and,
with the host of vultures, kites, crows and
buzzards, whom they rule, they are the
licensed scavengers of the cities of South
ern India. Strange to say, the beautiful
marabout feathers grow under their wings
One Of the largest birds of India is the
saras, or Antigone crane. 1t is even larger
than the adjutant. 1t is clothed with a
silky, pearl gray plumage, and its delicate
head is ornamented with red cap. The
bird is held sacred by the HindoOs, who
have made it the emblem of conjugal fidel-
ity. 1t is always met with in pairs; and,
if one chances to be shot, its mate will fly
after the hunter with lamentable cries.
The Mohammedans eat the flesh of the
bird, which is black and tough, yet some
what resembles beef in flavor