Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-09-19
A SCOURGE OF INDIA.
THE LARGEST, STRONGEST AND
MOST FERoCIoUs OF BEASTS.
Tigers and Their Mode of Attack
Their Preference for Human Flesh
Many People Killed by Them
Annually.

In his article in the Nineteenth Cen
tury, on the number OF human lives de
s.royed by animals, Mr.. J. Fayrer says
The animal first in size, strength ant
ferocity is the tiger 1t is confined en-
tirely to Asia, and is most common IL
India. It's muscular development ii
enormous. The tiger cannot only strike
down a COW with blow of its forearm
and hold it with its fangs, but can raise
it from the ground and drag or carry il
to his lair, where it is devoured al
leisure.
The tiger attains its greatest size in
the jungles Of India. Blyth says truly
that the largest tiger exceeds in size the
largest lion. The statements as to
length are conflicting and sometimes
exaggerated, errors arising from meas
urements of the skin being taken after it
has been removed from the body and
undergone stretching. The animal
should be measured from the nose along
the spine as he lies dead where he fell.
One that is ten feet by this measurement
is large, and the full grown males sell
dom exceed this, though it is certain
that they do occasionally attain to a
greater length. i have been present at
the death Of tigers ten feet eight
inches and ten feet six inches, accu-
rately measured where they fell, and
there are examples ON record where the
length exceeded twelve feet; so that,
while fully agreeing with Jerdon and
Others that the average sire of the male
tiger is from nine feet to nine and one
half feet or ten, l am abe to assert,
from indisputable evidence, that they
do Sometimes attain the ength Of eleven
or twelve feet, or even two or three
inches more. The tigress seldom ex-
ceeds nine feet, the average being be-
tween eight feet and eight and one-half
feet, or occasionally nine feet, and per-
haps in exceptional cases even up to
ten feet.
The tigress is smaller; the head,
neck, and body are finer and lighter
she is moro active, and, especially when
accompanied by her young, more ag-
gIessive than the tiger. The geograph-
icai distr button is confined 10 Asia,
from Araiat and Caucasus on the west,
it extends 10 Saghalien on the east; and
from Cape Comorin TO the Himalayas
rs high MS G,0J0 feet or 5000 feet. In
some places it is becoming rare, though /
the number are still sufficient to cause
serious loss of life. 1t is also found
among the hills and rocky country Of
Central and Southern India, and locali- 1
lies remote from population and cultiva.
lion are most irequen ed but when .
pressed by hunger the tiger visits clear /
ID and cultivated places, and tecomes
lie villigers dread, who are in constant
ear for their own or their cattle's lives
During the cold and wet seasons he is
'estless, wandering from place to place
With no fixed abode, though keeping
within a certain range Of country. In
he months Of March, April, and May lie
S more res.ric ed in his movements. the
,rass jungle having been burned to a
reat extent and the water dried up,
easing only swamps and pools. The
heller becomes less extensive, and with
he increasing heat, he becomes less in
lined for exertion; he now seeks the
atches Of grass or other shelter on the
dyes Of the forest and in the swamps,
here, lying o. rest during the heat Of
he day, he steals out Mt night in search
t prey, and it is during these months
hat he is often hunted and des royed,
ither from elephants, machans, or ON
Dot.
1t has been said that when tiger has
lsted human flesh he prefers it to other J
lod. cannot say how this may be.
ut there is no doubt that when he has |
the national dread of the hui J
ian form he readily kills men, and be- !
omes the terror OF whole district. At !
Tyneetal tiger prowled within a circle
twenty miles, and for three Years !
Tiled, on an average, eighty men per
mum. 1t sometimes happens that I
BAD is closed for weeks by single tiger; 1
OF only pedestrians, but even those i
-aveling in bullock carts, are attacked Q
nd carried off: and yet it is remarkable I
it'll what apathy the danger is some 1
mes regarded, for natives will carry on v
leir usual vocations as herdsmen /
: woodcutters close to the cover in {
hich the tiger is concealed. On the Z
her hand, they will often not pass y
ong a certain road or path without S
ms toms or torches to scare the tiger c
xav. while in other cases the heaters e
i'll readily 60 on foot and beat him out, \
Tough should he break beck he is pretty W
'rtain to strike some one down, infiict- n
g a dangerous, often a mortal wound, l
1t is less likely to do this if unwounded. y
have repeatedly seen herdsmen who n
ere willing to accompany you ON foot q
the jungle in which the tiger was ly- al
g, but who could not be persuaded to
CUNT an elephant for that purpose. d
1t is a popular belief, not confined to ~
e ignorant, that the wounds inflicted .,
a tiger are of poisonous character. q
is possible that the teeth and claws y
ay be contaminated by septic matter, u =,
It this is the exception rather than the q
lie. The real fact is that the wounds III
e dangerous because they are deep
Inctured and lacerated: otherwise they
we no popularity, aud often heal
mildly tho,1oh they sometimes sunpu-