77//: DOG FAMILY-WOLF. 



107 



Jackal is known all over the Orient and his actions 

 are there talked about with the same interest that 

 we give to the deeds of the Fox. 



The Jackal is from twenty-six to thirty-two inches 

 long; of this length from nine to twelve inches are 

 taken up by the tail, and the height at the shoulder 

 is from eighteen to twenty inches. He is of vigor- 

 ous build, the legs are long, the snout more pointed 

 than that of the Wolf, but blunter than that of the 

 Fox ; the bushy hanging tail reaches to the ankle- 

 joints. The ears are short, and the light-brown eyes 

 have round pupils. The fur is rough, of moderate 

 length and difficult to describe. The ground color 

 is a dingy tan-color or grayish-yellow, merging into 

 black on the back and sides, or tinged with black 

 in waves or stripes. This color is in sharp contrast 

 to that of the sides, thighs and paws, which is a pale 

 red, and the sides of the head and neck are of the 

 same tint. The pale or grayish-yellow ground color 

 merges into whitish yellow on the throat and the 

 under-waist, reddish yellow on the breast and gray 

 on the lower part of the 

 throat. 



Asia must be consid- 

 ered as the native country 

 of the Jackal. From India 

 he extends over the west 

 and northwest of the con- 

 tinent, through Beloochi- 

 stan, Afghanistan, Persia, 

 the Caucasus, Asia Minor, 

 Palestine, Arabia to north- 

 ern Africa ; but he is also 

 found in Europe, in Tur- 

 key, Greece and a few 

 localities of Dalmatia. In 

 India and Ceylon he is 

 found everywhere, in for- 

 ests as well as in the open 

 country, on plains and in 

 mountainous regions, and 

 in the Himalayas to an 

 elevation of over three 

 thousand feet. 



Mode of In his mode 



Life of the of life the 

 Jackal. Jackal repre- 

 sents an intermediate form 

 between the Wolf and the 



Fox. He resembles the latter more than the former. 

 In the daytime he keeps in hiding; towards evening 

 he sallies forth on his hunt, howling loudly to attract 

 others of his kind, in company with which he then 

 prowls around. He is gregarious, though he also 

 hunts alone. He might be termed the boldest and 

 most importunate of all wild Dogs, and is not at 

 all afraid of human settlements, boldly penetrating 

 into villages and even populous towns, and entering 

 yards and houses, taking away what he can find. 

 This boldness renders him a great deal more dis- 

 agreeable and annoying than do his celebrated 

 nightly songs, which he keeps up with admirable 

 perseverance. As soon as night has really set in, one 

 hears a howl of many voices, highly piteous in char- 

 acter, resembling that of our Dogs, but combining 

 a much greater variety of sounds. At any rate, 

 these melancholy howlings cannot be regarded as 

 the expression of grief on the part of these ani- 

 mals, for they howl in a manner equally mournful 

 when their food is plentiful, and they have every 

 reason for expressing joyful satisfaction. 



There are still other deeds of the Jackals which 

 excite our aversion. The slight amount of useful 

 service they perform is out of all proportion to the 

 destruction wrought by them. They are useful in 

 clearing away carrion and all kinds of vermin, and 

 especially in catching Mice, but they do much harm 

 by their insolent robberies. Not only do they de- 

 vour everything edible, but they also steal all kinds 

 of non-eatable things in the house and yard, tent and 

 room, stable and kitchen, taking anything that strikes 

 their fancy. Their thievish disposition is perhaps as 

 great as their voracity. In the poultry-yard they 

 play the part of the Fox, slay with a Marten-like 

 greed, and steal with all the insolence, if not the 

 cunning, of the Fox. According to circumstances, 

 they may also attack a stray Lamb or Goat, pursue 

 small game and plunder orchards and vineyards. In 

 India they are said to ravage sugar-cane plantations 

 and maize fields and damage the coffee plantations, 

 devouring a considerable quantity of the ripe berries. 



Jackals taken young become very tame, much 



COYOTE, OR PRAIRIE WOLF. Here is an animal familiar to the residents of the western plains. It 



might aptly be called the Jackal of America, except that it is more cowardly than the Asiatic animal. Its long, 

 thick fur makes the body look somewhat clumsy, but it can run very fast. The head bears a strong resemblance 

 to that of the Fox. The Coyote prowls at night, like others of the Wolf species, and may most frequently be seen 

 in the gray dawn of the morning. [Canis la/rans.) 



tamer than do Foxes. They become entirely ac- 

 customed to their owner, follow him about like a 

 Dog, not only accept but beg for caresses, respond 

 to a call, wag their tails in a friendly manner when 

 petted, and, in short, show all the qualities of domes- 

 tic Dogs. Even when taken old, they finally recog- 

 nize Man's supremacy, though they may be addicted 

 to biting viciously in the beginning. 



The Coyote, or A well known American Wolf, the 

 Prairie Wolf of Coyote or Prairie Wolf {Cants la- 

 America, trans), appears to be an intermediate 

 form between the Wolf and Fox, although his Wolf- 

 ish traits are unmistakable. He has the body, tail 

 and vigorous limbs of the Wolf, and the pointed snout 

 of the Fox. His strong body appears still stouter 

 than it really is, owing to his thick fur ; the neck is 

 short and strong, the head more slender than that 

 of the Wolf, broader at the top and sharper at the 

 snout ; the ears are rather large, wide near the head 

 but not rounded at the tip ; the light brown eyes 

 have a round pupil. The color of the fur is a dingy 

 yellowish-gray. 



