102 THE TllOriCAL WORLD. 



desert,' only shows himself on its borders ; and on asking the 

 nomads of the interior whether it is ever seen in their parts, 

 they gravely answer that in Europe lions may perhaps feed on 

 slirubs or drink the air, but that in Africa they cannot exist 

 without flesh and water, and therefore avoid the sandy desert. 

 In fact, they never leave the wooded mountains of the Atlas, or 

 the fruitful plains of the Soudan, to wander far away into the 

 Sahara, where snaskes and scorpions are the only dangerous 

 animals to be met with. The snakes, which belong to the genus 

 Cerastes, which is distinguished by two small horns upon the 

 head, have a deadly bite,. and are remarkable for their almost 

 total abstinence from water. 



Among the animals which inhabit those parts of the desert 

 which are covered with prickly vshrubs, we find hares and rabbits, 

 hysenas and jackals, the hedgehog and the porcupine. Well- 

 beaten paths, and here and there a scattered quill, lead to the 

 hole which this proverbially fretful animal burrows in the sand. 

 The hunters widen the entrance with their poniards or swords, 

 until a hoarse, prolonged growl, and the peculiar noise which 

 the enraged porcupine makes on raising his quills, warn them 

 to be on their 'guard. Suddenly the creature rushes from its 

 burrow to cast itself into the thicket ; but the well-aimed blow 

 of a poniard stretches it upon the sand. A fire being kindled, 

 the animal is buried under the embers ; and the quills then easily 

 separate from the roasted and excellentfly-flavoured meat. 



Several lizards inhabit the desert ; among others, a large 

 grey monitor, and a small white skink, with very sliort legs, 

 called Zelgague by the Arabs. Its movements are so rapid 

 that it seems to swim on the sand like a fish in the water, 

 and when one fancies one has caught it, it suddenly dives 

 under the s-urface. Its traces, however, betray its retreat, and 

 it is easily extracted from its hole, — a trouble which, in spite of 

 the meagre booty, is not considered too great when provisions 

 are scarce. 



According to the seasons animal life fluctuates in tlie Sahara 

 from north to south. In winter and spring, when heavy rains, 

 falling on its northern borders, provide wide districts, tho- 

 roughly parched by the summer heat, with the water and 

 pasturage needed for the herds, the nomadic tribes wander 

 farther into the desert with their camels, horses, sheep, and 

 goats, and retreat again to the coast-lands as the sun gains 



