230 THE GEEAT THIRST LAND. 



back, plentifully interspersed with white hairs. It is a 

 very pretty animal, and can be domesticated without 

 difficulty, although occasionally given to be treacherous. 



The voice of the jackal is not in the least dis- 

 agreeable, as many people imagine quite the reverse, I 

 may say. In fact, it often recalled to me the giggle of 

 a, thoughtless, merry, school-girl. In a quiet still 

 night especially if the boys had left their fires and 

 turned in these pretty animals would come close round 

 the wagon and keep up an uninterrupted conversation. 

 The natives also have a liking for them, and generally 

 smile, or even laugh, when they hear their voices ; but 

 there is another feature, a species of cupboard love, 

 in their love for them for no flesh do they appear to 

 have greater avidity. 



Another change has come over the appearance of the 

 ant-heaps ; instead now of being in hillocks, they have two 

 or three chimney-shaped funnels for entrances rising to 

 the height of three feet. These chimneys have a bell- 

 mouth, such as are seen on the metal ventilators on board 

 ship. As there is a reason for everything constructed 

 by the animal creation, when of peculiar form or shape 

 for example, see the nests of some species of birds 

 suspended at the termination of the finest limb of a tree, 

 to make their young or eggs secure from the depredations 

 of snakes I puzzled my brains over the subject, but 

 could not find an elucidation. However, Umganey, 

 with the assistance of the driver, solved the mystery. 

 Birds that prey upon ants are numerous in the locality, 

 so that if the insects carried on their labour exposed, 

 they would suffer sad diminution of their numbers ; but 

 by this contrivance they get air, and possibly light, 

 without exposing themselves to the attacks of their 



