’I have seen the skin of one twelve feet one inch, compared with which the skin of one I have by me that measured as he lay (the italics are mine) eleven feet one inch, looks like the skin of a cub.  The old skin looks more like that of a huge antediluvian species in comparison with the other.

’The twelve footer was so heavy that my uncle (C.A.S.) tells me no number of mahouts could lift it.  Several men, if they could have approached at one and the same time, might have been able to do so, but a sufficient number of men could not lay hold simultaneously to move the body from the ground.

’Eventually a number of bamboos had to be cut, and placed in an incline from the ground to the elephant’s saddle while the elephant knelt down, and up this incline the tiger had to be regularly hauled and shoved, and so fastened on the elephant.

’He (the tiger) mauled four elephants, one of whom died the same day, and one other had a narrow batch, i.e. escape, of its life.

In another communication to me, my friend goes over the same ground, but as the matter is one of interest to sportsmen and naturalists, I will give the extract entire.  It proceeds as follows:—­

’Tigers grow to great lengths, some assert to even fourteen feet.  I do not say they do not, but such cases are very rare, and require authentication.  The longest I have seen, measured as he lay, eleven feet one inch (see “Oriental Sporting Magazine,” for July, 1871, p. 308).  He was seven feet nine inches from tip of nose to root of tail; root of tail one foot three inches in circumference; round chest four feet six inches; length of head one foot two inches; fore arm two feet two inches; round the head two feet ten inches; length of tail three feet four inches.

’Besides this, I have shot another eleven feet, and one ten feet eleven inches.

’The largest tigress I have shot was at Sahareah, which measured ten feet two inches.  I shot another ten feet exactly.’ (See O.S.M., Aug., 1874, p. 358.)

’I have got the head of a tiger, shot by Joe, which measured eleven feet five inches.  It was shot at Baraila.

’The male is much bigger built in every way—­length, weight, size, &c., than the female.  The males are more savage, the females more cunning and agile.  The arms, body, paws, head, skull, claws, teeth, &c., of the female, are smaller.  The tail of tigress longer; hind legs more lanky; the prints look smaller and more contracted, and the toes nearer together.  It is said that though a large tiger may venture to attack a buffalo, the tigress refrains from doing so, but I have found this otherwise in my experience.

’I have kept a regular log of all tigers shot by me.  The average length of fifty-two tigers recorded in my journal is nine feet six and a half inches (cubs excluded), and of sixty-eight tigresses (cubs excluded), eight feet four inches.

’The average of tigers and tigresses is eight feet ten and a quarter inches.  This is excluding cubs I have taken alive.’