The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-10-10


and colleges It presents the other side OF
that picture of organic existence which IS seen
In the Museum Of Natural History, and besides
what may be observed in living forms, 1t
prompts inquiry concerning their predecessors,
aud properly used will lead MS 10 a knowledge
themselves. Man does not stand alone IN ma
ture. Life and mind are one throughout the
chain Of being, and the first true doctrine OF
human tribal history was written in the Mu-
scum OF the Jardin des Plantes of Paris.
Although both the anatomy Of living species
and OF extinct forms is in an advanced state OF
progress little is known of the character ana
habits Of many animals in which mankind ut
large take the liveliest interest. Among these
e the tiger whose disposition and general
tra Is are so lily understood, that there is
scare, Y a single point of any Importance con-
corning them which is not in dispute.
il is true that the opportunities for obserya-
ton are limited, but this fact does not fully
explain the dearth of authentic information
FACTS CONSTITUTE THE MATERIAL OF SCI
ESCE.
Science is nothing but the development of
common knowledge. Not only in respect TO
the tiger is this deficiency felt. The facts
marking the mental development Of the true
history Of one single baby would be- at this
time especially, one of the most valuable con-
tTibuti0ns 10 human knowledge that could be
made; but anything approaching 10 this re-
mains TO be yet executed. Very few people of
either sex are competent to give such an &C
count and for the most part. men would be
better able 10 judge Of the work than 10 per-
form it, All that we know OF the tiger comes TO
Us either through the hunter nAturalists or has
been acquired by a study Of the animal in capt
ivity, and, considering how generally interest
ing he is, it is very little. Suppose, for exam
pie, that a man who intended, for any purpose,
10 travel in the Nigri forests Central India or
in the Sunderbuns of the Gauges delta, were 10
endeavor 10 inform himself Of this dangerous
beasts habits from books what would be the
result OF his investigations2
There are an immense number of sporting
works, mostly worthless, but the records OF the
great spOrtsmen are scanty. Having read these
with care. and probably not little satislac-
ton, Of what nature is the practical informa-
ton be has gained DO tigers roar like lions
ms they leave their lairs, and thus announce
their approach? DO they take their prey,
including man, from an ambushf How far
can they spTingf In what manner do they
kilif How do they eat what they have kill
ed2
CAN THEY CLIMB AFTER FUGITIvEf
Is il their custom 20 attack man without
prOvOcaticn Are they TO be met with casually
In the jungles? Is the tiger brave or coward
~, and has he any instructive fear OF human
beingsY Such are some OF the questions TO
which the inquirer would doubtless seek an
answer; and DOW Jet us sec what must have
been the issue OF his quest
The famous Sandcrson wsll inform him that
a tiger never roars; he gruBts. according TO
MAJ BeFan, and the only approach towards
roaring that Capt Baldwin ever heard was
hollow, boarse, meaning cry, made by holding
his bead close 10 the ground. Inglis describes
the effect Of bis voice as like the fall Of earth
into some deep cavity. and Col. Davidson de-
clares that the tiger b2rks. Pollok, Lcverz0n,
EhAEsPere and Rice assert that ne roars loudly,
tremendously, terribly, maguiaeently. and
DEWes says that ia comparison with the
OF tiFress he encountered in the jungles be-
tween BellaFy and DharWar, any similar sound
he may have heard either at the geological
gardens or elsewhere, was like penny trum-
pet % an Ophicicide." All these names are
those OF men Eho hold the FIRST place in the
literature Of large game, and the list Of conflict
ing opinions might be readily extended bat
enough has been presented 10 show that, with
respect 10 the voice Of the animal, feature
which naturaiists rightly consider ore Of con-
siderable importance, THE best writers who
have described il preserve no agreement among
themselves.
How In il now with regard 10 the manner In
which prey II captured, killed and eaten2 No
such perfection Of development in powers Of
destruction as the tiger possesses exist else
where in nature. yet Col. Pollok concludes that
If he trusted % ambushing game TO supply him
self with food
On the other hand, Capt Rice who was a re-
noBncd tiger slayer, afirms that their prey IA
always surprised in this manner. IL u.s. per
hEps, needless 70 say, after such specimens Of
disagreement On 80 obvious aud easily observed
AR8biect ar the tigers voice, that like discOrd
EHce prevails concerning his mode Of hunting
Without overlooking the text with references
o. might be requisite in a more technical essay,
suffice il 10 say that both by day and by night
IN the jungle aud on open ground. the tiger
has been seen, by equally respectable and rcia-
bic authorities On the subject OF his habits TO
stalk bis game and 70 spring upon it from con
cealmsut. This striped assassin Is provided by
nature with Jaw unmatched in power; with
teeth which Will crush the large bones of bal
lock, and with claws that lie can strike AZ Mai.
BeGaB once eaw done, through the skull Of an
OF into its brain. Now, which does he use 10
dispatch bis victimsI He seizes the animal
and breaks its neck, says Col. Pollok: by
twisting H. explains Mai Forsyth; by forcing
the head backward, Capt. Baldwin insists: ia
neither way. DIR. JerdOn declares but hv a
downward blow Of the forearm. Others main
tain that the Fertebra arc crushed when the
tiger bites Tie back Of the animals neck and
again others assure us that he invariably fixes
has ianRs iB the throat. banders0n is confident
that the tiger In no case sucks the blood Of any
creature be has killed, and that IL this be an
on, Il il physically impossible that he should
DO 30. since the relative proportions Of his
mouth and Of the bull0cks throat prevent the
formation Of vacuum. The rejoinder 10 this
statement H. that Col Davidson and Can't
bbAkspere saw tigers suck the blood of cattle
they had tied up ar lures. an observation whose
accuracy Is supported by similar observations
made by Col. Campbell, Capt Rice and many
other tiger hunters.
It is By no means unusual 10 find field nAtu-
Talists speaking disparagingly Of their col
leagues Of the geological garden or museum
Theoretically the tigers structure seems 10
imply
TIE POSSESSION OF GREAT LEAPIEG POWER
aDd be has been so generally credited with
thIA both ~ scientific aud ia common
opinion, that the expression tigers lean aud
tigers bound" have become familiar COLO
cnialisms in more than one language. But
when we turn 10 the testimony Of eye-Wit-
Deases Of " the jungle king'E" behavior the
Bsli-congFatulati0n we may have experienced
In imagining that something in his conduct
was certain rapidly disappears. Tigers cannot.
or al least they do not jump the irrigatng
bitches Ia MysOre, according 10 6anderson who
further remarks that IN Assam, where, al
though the people are the greatest towards on
earth IN Col. Follok's opinion, they are In the
hAbit OF netting the tiger. the animal is never
known 10 leap barricade 10 feet high, even
70 save his life. Fayres aud Inglis doubt
whether he ever boands IN charging. Cant
hhakspere regards hunter on q machAn. or
platform built In tree RS secure at the hight
OF IL feet from the ground and Cant Raid win
1elt himself safe at an elevatfan If az faat