Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1891-11-05
TRAITS Of THE TIGER.
Or'gin and Life OF tho Ro,.l India.
Beast.

s" an" Lilo Of the Royal India,
Beast.
nc uger Is an Asiatio animal ak,
ciaslveiy, and ranges in suitable situa
ions from the Amoo- to the Island of
BAH and from Turkish Georgia to the
Island OF Saghalin, but does not exist
IN Ceylcn. In spite of the great
destruction OF tigers in India thew still,
i've, according to Mr.. Blanford wber.
ever large tracks of forests and grass.
jungle exist, and they are especially
common in the forests at the In cs
1ne Himalaya. Tigers at least occa.
saonally accompany the tigress and
her cubs. for these animals, like lions
are homogeneous The younp re.
main with the mothers until nearly or
quite fall grown. BY day the tiger
taxes up its abode in deep shade, es-
peclally in the hot season, and yener-
ally near water. They swim we'll and
WILL even cross arms of the sea, but
very rarely ascend trees. Tigers
spring much less than is popularity
supposed. and rarely move both their
hind legs off the ground. They roa- a
good deal less than lions do although
their call is very similar. Mr.. Blan.
lord says. when hit by bullet a
tiger generally roars, but tigresses, or
at oil events very often. do not. !
nave ON three occasions at least
known a tigress to receive a mortal
wound and pass on without making
sound.
The ordinary food of tigers, says
the New York Sun. consists of pigs,
deer. antelopes. and, strange to say,
porcupines, which one would think
would be rather awkward mouthfuls.
They also sometimes kill and eat bears
and young gaurs and buffaloes. al.
though such wild cattle, if adult. are
more than match for the tiger.
When hard pressed during foundations
they will eat fish, tortoises. lizards.
frogs. and even locusts. They Kill
great numbers of domestic animals,
and sometimes live entirely on cattle
and they have distinct preference fol
beef oyer mutton. The tiger appear.
ordinarily to kill cattle by clutchine
the forequarters with its paws ant
then selling the throat in his jaws from
nderneath and forcing it upward ant
backward until the neck is dislocated.
The enormous muscular power o
the tiger is shown by the way in which
1t can transport large carcasses o
oxen over rough ground. sometime
lifting the body completely of tn
ground. A very hungry one will de
YOUR two headquarters in one night
but generally remains three or fou
days near the carcass, feeding ut in
tervals. A tigress with cubs is oftel
very destructive, partly. it is said, u
teach the young tigers to kill thei
own prey. Though they usually d
so kill, they do not disdain carriou
Cases are even recorded OF a shot tige
being devoured by another of it's owl
species.
The ordinary cattle-eating tiger is
great coward in the presence of man
and often allows himself to be petite
of. The man-eating tigers are thos
which have got fat and heavy, or be
ing disabled from age or injury fin
man an easy prey; and when ono
they have got over their innate fear G
the human species such tiger ma
become a fearful scourge. Thus i
Lower Bengal alone APIS person
were killed by them between 1860 an
1866. In Bengal and Upper India Il
gers are hunted on elephants, tn
sportsmen shooting from howdahs
In central aud southern India tige
shooting is usually attempted in tn
hot season. and the tiger is eithe
driven by heaters past tree on whic
the sportsman sits, or followed ur
either on an elephant or on foot o.
casionally, especially when a tiger ha
been wonded herd of buffaloes ar
employed to drive him out of the COY
or. which they do very effectuall,
charging him in body il he does nj
retreat. Tigers captured young al
easily tanned. and many Of the adu
animals in menageries are perfect
good-tempered. and fond of bein
acted and caressed by those who
they know. They have repeated
bred in confinement. although not I
freely as lions, and the cubs MOI
rarely thrive.