The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1892-07-09


west it extends to Saghalien on the east;
and from Cape Comorin to the Himalayas,
as high as 5000 feet or 5000 feet The
haunts of the tiger are often near villages
or cattle grazing stations. where much dam
age is done, for he will kill a COW every
second or third day. In some cases he
takes to man eating, and will depoulate
village by killing some and frightening
others. When cattle are not be had, tigers
subsist largely on deer or wild pigs; but
they probably prefer cattle, as furnishing
better meal and being easier 10 kill, for
the Indian cattle are at the best but feeble
and halfstarved creatures. The smaller
buffaloes are also easily disposed of, the
full-grown bulls are formidable antagonists,
and often beat off the tiger, and have been
known to wound him mortally. The wild
boar is also dangerous object of attack,
and not anfrequeutly, it is said, foils its
enemy. Cattle and buffaloes especially
seem to have an instructive knowledge of
the proximity of tiger, and will form into
phalanx or circle, the bulls outside, to
resist the attack, when they will also pro-
tect the herdsman, who takes shelter with
in the compact body which faces the tiger.
Under these circumstances the attack is
generally deferred until SOME member of
the herd is caught struggling and struck
down: but even then the others have been
known to charge and drive the tiger off the
wounded comrade
THEIR GREED FOR HUMAN FLESH.
1t has been said that when tiger has
tasted human flesh he prefers it to other
food. | cannot say how this may be, but
there is no doubt that when he has over
come the natural dread of the human form
he readily kills men and becomes the terror
of whole district At Nyneetal tiger
prowled within circle of twenty miles,
and for three years killed, on an average,
eighty men per annum. 1t sometimes hap
mems that a road is closed for weeks by a
single tiger; not only pedestrians, but even
those travelling in bullock carts, are at
tackled and carried off; and yet it is remark
able with what apathy the danger is some
times regarded, for the natives will carry
on their usual vOcations as herdsmen or
wood cutters close to the cover in which
the tiger is concealed On the other hand,
they will often not pass along a certain
road or path without tom-toms or torches
to scare the tiger away, while in other cases
the beaters will readily 60 on foot and beat
him out, though should he break back he
is pretty certain to strike some one down,
inhicting a dangerous, often a mortal
wound, but is less likely to do this if un-
wounded. have repeatedly seen herds
men who were willing to accompany you
on foot to the jungle in which the tiger
was lying, but who could not be persuaded
to mount an elephant for that purpose.
1t is popular belief, not confined to the
ignorant, that the wounds inflicted by a
tiger are of poisonous character. 1t is
possible that the teeth and claws may be
contaminated by septic matter, but this is
the exception rather than the rule. The
real fact is that the wounds are dangerous
because they are deep-punctured and lacer-
ated Otherwise they have no peeuliarity
and often heal rapidly, though they some
times suppurate and produce blood poison
ing.
The tiger does not roar like the lion,
though he can do so occasionally. There
is a peculiar grunting bark or growl when
he is disturbed or frightened, and this is
repeated loudly when he charges. When
calling to each other at night tigers make
prolonged wailing howl, which is very
imposing and makes the hearer glad to feel
the protection of camp about him. A
wounded tiger, with his ears laid back, his
eyes glaring, his fangs displayed, and his
hair erect, as he charges with repeated
angry growls, is most trying ordeal, and
very difficult to meet unmoved.
HOW THEY KILL THEIR PREY.
The tiger generally seizes his prey at
night He watches the cattle or whatever
it may be until he creeps within reach, and
then with rush or bound he grips it by
the throat, drags or strikes it to the ground,
twisting it so as sometimes to dislocate OF
break the neck The fangs are driven in
so as to hold the struggling creature until
dead, when it is dragged off to the jungle
to be eaten at leisure. When they take
to man eating they cause the greatest con-
sternation. The natives do not generally
fear to go near their haunts, and the herds
men even drive them off the bullock which
has been struck down. They will beat
tigers out of the cover on foot, and though
they are occasionally injured, this generally
happens when the tiger has been wounded,
or thinks he is surrounded He will then
strike man down, perhaps kill him with
a single blow, or he will give him severe
bite about the shoulder, drop and leave
him. 1t is remarkable how many persons
escape from the clutches of tiger. 1t
rarely kills outright, and seldom carries
the man far from the spot where he was
struck down, except, of course, in the case
of the confirmed man eater, when the vic
tim is carried off and eaten, just as a deer
would be. The tiger is naturally timid
suspicious animal, very morose and unso-