FELIS TIGRIS.
THE T IG E R
FELIS TIGRIS, Linn. Syst. Nat. (1766) vol. i. p. 61. sp. 2.—Erxl. Syst. Regn. Anim. (1777) p. 603. sp. 2.— Schreb. Säugeth. (1778) Th. iii.
p. 381, tab. xviii.—Gmel. Syst. Nat. (1788) vol. i. p t 1, p. 76. sp. 2.—Pall. Zoog. Rosso-Asiat. (18iii^i vol. i. p. 15.—Fisch. Zoogn.
(1814) torn. iii. p. 217. sp. 2.—Desm. Nouv. Diet. Hist. Nat. (1816) vol. vi. p. 92.—Id. Mamm. (1820) p. 219. no. 337, pl. 91. fig. 2,
and pl. 92. fig. 1.—Cuy. Ossem. Foss. (1825) vol. iv. p. 414.—Temm. Mon. Mamm. (18 2 7 ) vol. i. p. 88.—Less. Man. Mamm. (1827)
p. 181. sp. 482.—Fisch. Syn. Mamm. (1829) p. 198. sp. 3.—Cuv. Icon. Rägn. Anim. (1829-44) p. 18, pl. 18. fig. 2.—Lacep. Mus.
Hist. Nat. pl.—Vig. Mem. Raff. (1830) p. 636.—Jard. Nat. Libr. vol. xvi. p. 139, pl. 6.—Swain. Anim. Menag. (1838) p. 100.— Blainv.
Osteögr. (1839-64) vol. ii. Atl. pis. vii., xi., xii., xiii., xiv.—Less. Nouv. Tab. R£gn. Anim. (1842) p. 50. sp. 513.—Hutton, Journ. Asiat.
Soc. Beng. (1845) p. 341. sp. 2.—Horsf. Cat. Mamm. Mus. E.-Ind. Co. (1 8 5 i) p. 43. sp. 72.—Gerv. Hist. Nat. Mamm. (1855) p. 83.
—Adams, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1856) p. 513. sp. 5.—Horsf. Proc. Zool. Soc. (1856) p. 395. sp. 16.—Bartl. Proc. Zool. Soc. (1861)
p. 140.—Blyth, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1863) p. 182. sp. 3.—Jerd. Mamm. Ind. (1867) p. 92. sp. 104.—Sclat. Proc. Zool. Soc. (1868) p. 624.
—Flower, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1869) pp. 15, 16.—Swinh. Proc. Zool. Soc. (1870) pp. 3, 626.—M'Masters, Notes on Jerd. Mamm. Ind.
¿(1870) p. 22.—Busk, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1874) p. 147, tab. i.—Blyth, Cat. Mamm. & Birds, Burma, (1875) p. 27. sp. 52.
TIGER, Pennant, Hist. Quad. (1793) p. 277.
LE TIGRE ROYAL, F. Cuv. & St.-Hil., Hist. Nat. Mamm. (1819) vol. ii. pl. 118.
BENGAL OR ROYAL TIGER, Griff. Anim. King. (1827) p. 440, pl.
FELIS TIGRIS, var. a. MONGOLICA, Less. Nouv. Tab. Regn. Anim. (1842) p. 50.
FELIS TIGRIS, var. b. NIGRA, id. ibid.
FELIS TIGRIS, var. c. ALBA, id. ibid.
TIGRIS REGALIS, Gray, Cat. Mamm. Brit. Mus. (1842) p. 40.—Id. Cat. Hodg. Coll. Mamm. & Birds Nepal & Thibet, (1846) p. 4.—Id. Cat.
Hodg. Coll. Mamm. Brit. Mus. (1863) p. 3. sp. 23.—Id. Proc. Zool. Soc. (1867) p. 263.—Fitzin. Sitzungsber. Akad. Wiss. Wien,
(18 6 8 ) lviii. p. 446.—Gray, Cat. Cam. Mamm. (1869) p. 10.
TIGRIS STRIATUS, Severtz. Rev. Mag. Zool. (1858) p. 386.
TIGRIS SONDAICA, Fitzin. Sitzungsber. Akad. Wiss. Wien, (1868) lviii. p. 454.
TIGRIS LONGIPILIS, id. ibid. p. 455.
TIGRIS REGALIS ALBA, id. ibid. p. 448.
TIGRIS REGALIS HYBRIDA, id. ibid. p. 450.
H a b . Southern India, from the Indus to the south-east boundary of China, Java, Sumatra, and probably Borneo
(H o r s f i e l d ) . Common in the forests of Burma (B l y t h ) . “Peculiar to Asia, extending westward as far as
Mount Ararat. A few are annually killed in Turkish Georgia. More numerous in the Elburz Mountains, south
of the Caspian (the ancient Hyrcania). North of the Hindu Kosh Tigers occur in Bokhara, and proved troublesome
to the Russian Surveying Expedition, on the shores of the Aral, in midwinter. They are also found on
the banks of the Irtisch, and in the Altai region, and thence eastward to the Amurland or Amuria (where they
are very destructive to cattle), and round by China and Indo-China to India southward of the Himalayas; but the
species does not extend into Ceylon. It inhabits the Malayan peninsula, Sumatra, Java, and Bali, but is not met
with in Borneo; neither does it occur in the great Thibetan range of High Central Asia” (Bl y t h ).
W i t h o u t the majestic and dignified appearance that is so characteristic of his great rival the Lion, the present species is
remarkable for the gracefulness and agility of his movements and the beauty of his coat. Of their moral character hardly
any thing favourable can be said for either of these great Cats; but it would seem that the Tiger possesses a more cruel
disposition, and frequently slays merely for the pleasure of killing, and for indulging his bloodthirsty propensities. His
frame being fighter than that of the Lion, his activity is greater, while his physical force is only surpassed by that of the
Elephant. The Tiger is chiefly found in India from Cape Comorin to the Himalayas, and is known to dwell on those
mighty mountains, as high as 8000 feet elevation. It extends its range as far west as Georgia, and is met with in