'A JOURNEY IN THE EAST: 291 



the races of Egyptian dogs. While in this country I noticed 

 the singular fact that the village dog, the African Wolf ( Canis 

 lupaster), " Abu el Hussein " or " Deeb " of the Arabs, and the 

 Jackal ( Canis aureus) , " Talib " of the Egyptians and " Wawi " 

 of the Syrians, are much mixed by cross-breeding. We 

 never killed two wolves or two jackals which were exactly 

 like each other, either in size or colour ; and in Palestine the 

 variations among the jackals were still more marked. On 

 the whole, the Asiatic Jackal is larger than the North- African. 

 Among a number which were fairly alike, I shot one which 

 differed from all the others both in form and coloration, and 

 yet one could not say that this singular creature was a wolf. 



The dogs of the East also frequently show traces of a wild 

 origin, which is not surprising when one considers what a free 

 ownerless life they lead, and how the wolves and jackals prowl 

 about the outskirts of the towns and villages every night, and 

 often every evening. 



I will even go so far as to assert that in those parts of 

 Africa and Asia where dogs, wolves, and jackals live close 

 together, one cannot speak of the jackal as being a good 

 and separate species. Dogs and wolves keep their breeds 

 purer ; but I have failed to find that the Canis aureus of 

 scientific works is a true and distinctly characterized species. 



But to return to the incidents of our journey. The steamer 

 ran on until ten o'clock in the forenoon, when she stopped 

 above the sandbank at Dabbabieh, on which I had seen the 

 great Sociable Vultures when going up the river On landing 

 we at once found that the fellaheen had faithfully carried out 

 our directions, for a little reed-hut had been erected, and the 

 bones of dogs and sheep showed that the vultures had been 

 daily fed. 



We had great difficulty in keeping off the inquisitive 

 natives, who, proud of their achievements, now wished to 

 participate in the sport. Some Egyptian Vultures soon 



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