38 THE INDIAN JACKAL. 



Unfortunately we have had but little opportunity of examining specimen, 

 from these localities, but in our National Collection there is a skin * 

 and skull of one from Anatolia, presented by Sir Charles Fellowes. 

 If we may judge from this example, then this local variety agrees 

 both as to coloration and dental characters, not with the North-African 

 Jackal, but with that of India. 



In 1833 there was published an account of the French exploration of 

 the Morea, the Mammals being described by M. Isidore Geoffrey St.- 

 Hilaire. That illustrious naturalist was disposed to regard the Jackals 

 of the Morea, of India, and of North Africa as forming together but a 

 single species, which, we have already admitted, may well be the case. 

 Nevertheless, according to his description, the colour of the limbs and 

 head of the Crimean Jackal agrees wii.h what we find in the Indian 

 Jackal, and not in the North-African one He lays much stress on the 

 greater amount of black upon the back of the Crimean form ; but this is 

 just one of those characters in which we have found a considerable 

 amount of variation in skins all derived from the same locality. 



He describes the Jackal as being very common in the Morea, hunting 

 in packs, uttering cries like the wail of an infant, and suddenly sur- 

 prising a traveller by their proximity, when the pack is itself invisible. 

 They not only, as usual, feed on carrion, but he found they had the 

 habit of disinterring dead bodies. During the war of liberation they 

 would also enter an encampment at night and eat any boots and shoes 

 they could find. They were camp-followers, and the scientific expe- 

 dition found regions to be free of them where they abounded during 

 the war ; they had left with the troops. 



The general colour is a pale dirty yellow, with more or less of a 

 reddish tinge mixed with a variable amount of black on the upper part 

 of the body, and a brown under fur. The limbs are decidedly rufous, 

 as also between and behind the ears and on the muzzle; the backs of 

 the ears are tawny. The underparts of the body are always paler and 

 sometimes almost white. The tail is reddish brown, except the tip, 

 which is black, but the hairs on the lower portion of the tail are also 



* No. 44. 7. 13. 3. 



