The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1883-04-11
FACTS ABOUT THE TIGER.
What some Noted Travellers Have to 81
About This Ferocions Beast.


The Burmese declare there are two vArie.
ties of tiger, those of the plains being much
larger than those found on the hills. The
latter have shorter tail, and are said to be
more active and vivacious. But as no two
whether shot on the plains or on. the hills.
are identically alike, varieties might be ninl.
hphed adj h0itum. Tigers which live in the
hills have far harder work to keep thei,
larder supplied than a pampered tiger Of the
plains, who takes up his abode near q large
village and slaughters as many bullocks OF
cows as he pleases, and increases in size tin.
I'll he becomes q monster, while the former
remains small and lean The largest tiger
was ever at the death Of measured as be lay
ten feet one inch, when pegged out thirteen
feet four inches noted the measurements
at the time, and il was laughable how, after
the lapse of time, the dimensions or iris
animal varied according to the memory of
the individual relating the circumstances.
With some he was twelve and a half feet
long, with others thirteen and q half feet,
with Others ten and half feet, as be lay
dead. 1t shows how necessary 1t is to
record in black aud white at the time exact
measurements. otherwise one's memory is
apt to prove treacherous We thus hear Of
tigers of fabulous sizes. | myself believe
ten feet eight'inches- perhaps ten feet six
inches-to be the utmost length of a liner.
living or dend,. Mr.. Campbell, Deputy
Commissioner of Dubri, who has killed and
'een killed great many tigers, never saw
one more than ten feet four inches. 1t ia a
disputed point how tiger strikes down his
prey, and although have lived in and roam.
ed jnngles for the greater part of my life.
aud have had two ponies killed, never saw
nm animal struck down. though have come
upon the quiverng carcass not yet cold.
Opinions differ Williamson says -. The
tigers forepaw is the invariable engine OF
destruction. Most people imagine that if
tiger were deprived of its claws and teeth he
would be rendered harmless, but this is a
great error. The weight of the limb is the
real cause of mischief, for the talons are
rarely extended when the tiger seizes. The
operation is similar to that of hammer;
the tiger raises his paw and brings il down
with such force MS not only to stun com.
mon-sized bullock or buffalo, but even
crushing the bones of the skull / bave
seen many men and deer killed by tigers, in
most of which no mark of o claw could be
seem aud when scratches did appear they
We're obviously the effect of chance, from
the claw sliding downward aud not from
design" johnson is of a contrary opinion,
for he says -" During residence of nine
years in Chittra never saw man or ami.
nal killed by tiger that had not the mark
of talons yet | admit that the force with
which tiger generally strikes is suffieien,
of itself, without the aid of his claws, to kill
men or large animals, and believe that it
occasionally takes place in the manner
have described, but never from its weight,
liRe the fall of hammer" or my two
ponies, the first was seized in the stable by
the throat and the windpipe severed, and
also saw bullock thus treated at Papicon.
dab, on tho Godavey. My second pony
was killed by grip of the upper part of the
neck, by which the iugular was severed,
and, though the tiger was driven of, the
pony bled to death.
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