THE JACRALS. 213 



long vibrissae on the lips ; the eyebrows were pro- 

 minent, which, with a peculiar expression of the 

 eyes, gave it a look of suspicion and ferocity. 



The Jackal group is still smaller in size than the 

 Thoes, seldom exceeding fifteen inches at the 

 shoulder ; the form of the head is narrower, termi- 

 nating in a pointed muzzle; the eyes small; the 

 whiskers long ; the ears rather large ; the tail 

 shorter than that of foxes, but nearly as well 

 furnished with hair ; their make is light and active, 

 and the pupil of the eye round ; they have six or 

 eight mammaB, and the caecum, according to Guel- 

 denstadt, differs from that of the wolf and the fox. 

 All have buff and fulvous colours, more or less 

 mixed with grizzled white or brown hairs, and the 

 tip of the tail is invariably dark. Belon is the 

 only author who ascribes to them a beautiful yellow 

 coloured fur (une belle couleur jaune), apparently 

 carried away by his determination to make this 

 species pass for the Aureus of Oppian. From the 

 constancy of these characters it is difficult to divide 

 them into species, although, from the immense 

 territorial surface, and the variety of climate they 

 inhabit, it is likely that there are several. 



