The Ottawa free trader., 1876-01-08
Fauna OF HindOstan.

The immense variety and value of tht
natural productions of India are no less ex
hlbited in the animal life that teens in hel
jungles and forests than in the vegetation
that covers her soil with tropical luxuriance
and Ia the mineral treasures that make the
earth in many districts mine of untold
wealth. The wild beasts that roam her
plains, and provide royal sport for the hun.
ter, include the lion, the tiger, leopard, pan.
fox, bison, elephant, rhinOceros, deer gazelle,
antelope and neilgye. Of these, the noblest
is the tiger, which is larger, fercer and strong.
er than the lion, who has, from pleasant
fiction, been regarded az the monarch of the
animal kingdom.
DIR. Fayrer says IN his recent little book on
the Royal Tiger Of Bengal in treating of
the comparative qualities OF the lion and tiger,
that the latter lis generally described as infe-
rior, 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 cour.
ageOus nor 50 dignifled, hs IS entitled to the
first place-at all events In India; for there
he is in his home, whilst the lion, compare
lively rare, and confined to certain limited
portions Of India, such as GuZerat, Gwalior
and few other localities, is, as it were, the
branch of fauna that attains Its highest de-
velopmenl in Africa; withal, the largest
tiger exceeds the largest lion in size as much
as in strength and activity"
DIR. Fayrer frequently measured specimens
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 in late years, and
the account of their destrution of human life
is truly appalling. In Lower Bengal alone
1t is stated that, in the six years ending in
1866 13,4W persons were slain by wild ami
mails. or this number 4,218 fell victims to
tigers and 4,2S7 were killed by wolves. In
Rangpore from tifly-tive to sixty people are
annually torn in pieces by wild beasts. A
single tiger has killed in three years time
lOS persons. On one occasion the brute kill
ed father, mother and three children; and
IN the week before 1t was shot it destroyed
twenty seven persons. Another tiger was
known 10 Kill during three successive years
an average OF eighty persons annually. A
third individual Killed l27 people in 1859
and actually broke up travel ON highway
for several weeks before it was finally made
away with. Sometimes whole villages are
deserted on account OF the depredailons OF
one OF these man-slayers. According to a !
Government report in the central provinces
"a single ugress caused the desertioH of thir. |
teen villages anG $50 square miles of country
were thrown out OF cultivation
Many OF the most dangerous of the wild
beasts prowl around the immediate neighbOr. |
hoOC OF the cities, and sacrifice both men and |
animals 10 their fierce greed. The
bungalows provided for travellers and the
tents which sheltered them in their journeys
and hunt Ing excursion are frequently visitt |
by these savage marauders. While nj. Rous-
selet was cncamped in Il bungalow on the
plains near Delhi there was intense agitation
excited among his men one evening by the 1!
presence OF hyena in the apartment he Oc.
cupied. No one dare enter the room, as the
intruder was supposed 10 be a panther. A
mass of flaming rags was thrown into the
room, and by their light the animal was dis
covered and dispatched. Ii proved 10 BE- Il
hyena; and after peace was restored
by its destruction the traveller retired TO rest,
mot without laughing heartily over the emo.
tons of the evening and the episode of the
hyena-hunf in a bedroom"
Among the characteristic birds of India
are peacocks-which aie protected by spe-
cial edict of the Hindoo Government-pheas-
ants, pigeons, parrots, jungle.fowl, the pagoda-
thrush, bulbul, famlngo, pelican and adju-
amt.
In some of the cities, as in Calcutta, the
idjuisnt is cherished Us valuable scavengcr
The birds become very tame, being preserv-
ID from molesiatIon, and walk about in the
crowded streets, or perch on the SUBMITS of
searching with their eagle eyes for
prospect of booty. When erect the adlu-
ant is above Eve feet high-nearly the height
)f man; and with its enormous bill-capa-
Die of swallowing fowl or leg of mutton
II gulp-its huge pouch underneath, bald
lead and neck, and stork-like legs, it is Gu
'ious creature 10 see in the heart OF a city,
Their services in cleaning the streets OF filth
ire greatly priced; and, with the host ofvul-
ures, Kites. crows and buIzards, whom they
ale, they are the licensed scavengers Of the .
ities Of Southern India. Strange to say, the
,esutiiui marabout feathers grow under their
wigs. .