Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 2 (1898).djvu/187

Rh would offer but precarious chances even to so cunning and stealthy a foe as the Tiger, as all wild animals are so wonderfully cautious in their approaches to such resorts. The Tiger too would betray his presence to them by that peculiar smell attaching to him, so that the odds are greatly against our striped friend's success, though of course he occasionally is rewarded by catching some unwary over-thirsty animal that rushes to the pool heedless of the consequences. But this will not apply to the Tiger on the hills, where no paucity of water ever occurs to such an extent as to drive the game to any one spot to drink. That the Tiger's principal food in certain localities is game there can be little question, but how he takes it is not well known, and perhaps may never have been witnessed by anyone.

I have a theory of my own on this point; let us ventilate it. In the first place, the Tiger must have room to spring on his victim in the sholas, —many are sufficiently clear to allow this,—and no doubt he takes advantage of such spots when a chance offers in them; but in general the woods are dense with undergrowth interspersed with trees so close together that the spring of the Tiger and the force of the blow must—I should say—be greatly interfered with. Then, again, his presence, as before said, is so liable to detection by the Deer that his chances of capture are remote; but at night the Deer are out in the open, and then perhaps, the wind being by chance in his favour, he may succeed; and I am disposed to believe that this is the most likely time for him to do so, though he is in no way restricted as to time or place, for he slays tame Indian Buffaloes oftener during the day than during the night, and at times close to their habitations. All Deer possess an acute sense of smell, and against it a Tiger has to contend before he can provide his larder with game; but how does he manage it? We cannot give him the credit of the intellect of man, who, in pursuit of game, is well aware nothing can be done down wind. Were it so, not a Sambur or Deer would be left alive. The Tiger would bag them all just as he pleased,—in fact, he would then be able to kill any Deer when he wanted it. We have so far considered the acuteness on the part of the game to ensure them against total destruction, and I have only one further observation to record, and that is