41 



THE NORTH-AFRICAN JACKAL. 



CANIS ANTHUS. 



Canis anthus, F. Cuvier, Hist/ Nat. des Mammiferes, vol. ii. (1824) ; 



RUppell, Atlas, Zool. p. 44, pi. 17 (1826). 

 Canis variegatus, Ruppell, Atlas, Zobl. p. 31, pi. 10 (1826). 

 Canis lupaster, Ehrenberg, Symb. Phys. ff. (1832). 

 Lupus anthus, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1868, p. 502. 

 Dieba anthus, Gray, Catalogue of Carnivorous Mammalia, p. 189. 

 Satalius barbarus, Hamilton Smith, Jardine's Naturalist's Library, 



vol. ix. p. 218 (1839). 

 Chacal d'Alger, Isid. Geoffrey St.-Hilaire, Expedition de Moree, vol. iii. 



Zoologie, p. 22. 



As we observed in treating of the last described species, it is only with 

 much doubt and hesitation that we provisionally separate the North- 

 African Jackal from its Indian analogue. The specimens which we 

 have had the opportunity of examining, and which came from Abyssinia 

 as well as from Egypt and Tunis, all agreed, however, in having a 

 distinct tone of coloration from that which we found to prevail in Indian 

 Jackals, as well as in possessing a different form of skull and somewhat 

 differently shaped premolar teeth. 



It is a question whether or not the C. variegatus of Ruppell is a 

 variety of this species : such is the opinion of Mr. Blanford. We will 

 consider the question when treating of the species next described. 



The habits and mode of life of the African Jackal are similar to those 

 of its Asiatic and European congeners. Though the African kind seems 

 to be generally larger than the Indian one, a considerable variation 

 occurs in the size of individual specimens. There is also much variation 

 as to the length of the fur and the amount of black hair to be found 

 amongst it. 



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