The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1892-07-09
rRA1NINa rHE1R YorNa To SILL.

hC hiENl 10
of CESSATION is fourteen to fifteen weeks,
and from two to FIVE, or even SIX young
are produced, but two or three is the COM
mon number These remain until full
grown with the mother, who is very care
ful, guards and trains them with the great
est solictude, and is peculiarly vicious and
defending them with the great
est courage and, if robbed of them, terri
Bile in her wrath and vengeance. When
she is teaching them to kill, great destruc-
tion takes place, for animals are destroyed
for the sake of practice, and far more are
killed than are needed for food. The older
tigers are content with a bullock every
second, third, or fourth day, and will prob
ably not kill again, unless disturbed, until
they have eaten it; but they vary in char
acter, and some are more wanton in their
destructive habits than others. At about
two years of age the young tigers, being
nearly full grown and quite able to provide
for themselves, leave their mother and
begin life on their own account.
There are many ways of comprising the
tigers DEATH They are caught in pitfalls,
traps, or even nets, and then speared or
shot They are killed by strychnine or
poisoned arrows; and many are shot by
professional shikaries and European and
native sportsmen on foot, from machans,
or from elephants.
During the eight years 1SsO-87 inelu-
sive I ,30l human beings, or yearly aver
age of 912 persons, and 15s, ,s45 cattle, or
a yearly average of 10, ,S55 head, have been
killed by tigers.
NOT MANY LIONS IN INDIA.
The lion belongs to the African rather
than to the Asiatic fauna, and in India
is apparently approaching extinction. The
lion is smaller and less powerful than the
tiger, though its large head and name give
it more imposing appearance; its denti-
ton and general structure are like those of
the tiger; its length from the nose to the
end of the tail, which is tufted and has a
small terminal spine, is from eight feet to
nine feet, or little more; it is compara-
lively weak in the hinder extremities. The
lion differs in character and habits from
the tiger, aud is said to be bolder and of a
nobler nature Like the tiger, it is chiefly
nocturnal, sleeping in the day and search
ing for food at night. 1t roars loudly;
especially when it prowls round the camp
fires, sometimes carrying off an animal
from the encampment. In India, deer,
antelope, pigs, cattle, even camels, horses,
donkeys, and men, too, occasionally have
formed its prey; donkeys it is said to pre-
fer to other cattle. OF the extent of des-
truction of human and animal life caused
by it | am unable TO give any account, as
the returns furnish no data for late years.
200 PERSONS KILLED BY ONE LEOPARD.
The leopard or panther, is found all over
India, in Ceylon, and in Africa. Many
sportsmen and some naturalists consider
that the leopard and panther are different
species, but such is not the case. The
leopard is more active than the tiger; it
climbs trees readily, springs to a great
height, and is very destructive; sheep, goats,
and dogs especially are its favorites. In
some of the hill stations it is difficult to
keep dog; they are constantly carried off,
even out of the verandas of the house. In
pursuit of prey it is daring and will enter
outhouses, huts, and tents. Its favorite
haunts are hills covered with scrub, caves,
or rocky places, as well as the jungle. 1t
is more courageous and aggressive than the
tiger, and when wounded is very danger
GUS, charging with ferocity, and springing
with great activity. Leopards kill oxen,
donkeys, deer, all the smaller animals, and
even birds, such as peacocks; but dogs
seem to be their favorite prey. They some
times take to man eating, and Blanford
says that in the Sonthal pergunnahs and
in Seoni in the central provinces, leopards
in 1860 were very destructive, taking men,
women, and children out of houses, or off
machans. One leopard near Seoni is said
to have killed 200 human beings in two
years, before he was shot, They take the
water readily and swim well. The leopard
is silent animal, but makes grunting or
grantig roar when charging or angered.
The returns for 1887 show that during the
year 210 human beings and 24,l6l head
of cattle were killed by leopards, while
1892 leopards were destroyed
HYENAs AND WOLVES
The hyena is nocturnal, hiding away in
caves, among rocks or hills and rayines
during daylight, and is sneaking, cowardly
though formidable animal, with jaws SO
powerful that it can crush large bones with
ease. 1t eats carrion and animals that have
died or that have been killed by other
beasts of prey. 1t is often hunted and
speared, when it makes little effort to de-
feud itself; it has an unearthly, disagreea-
BILE cry, and is so coWardly that have seen
one caught and held by the hands of ma
tive shikari. 1t figures to considerable
extent among the destroyers of life. In
the year 1887 seventeen human beings
probably children or infrm old people, and
2,74s head of cattle were killed by hyenas
while $3.50 hyenas were destroyed.
There are two Indian wolves; the first
seems to be undistinguishable from tn,
European wolf, aud is rather larger thar