THE BARBARY JACKAL. 81 



General description Anecdote from M. Sonnini. 



tered a house to steal, and hears his companions 

 at a distance, he cannot refrain from adding his 

 voice to the number, by which means they are 

 frequently detected. 



THE BARBARY JACKAL. 



THE Barbary jackal is about the size of the 

 common fox, and of a brownish fawn-colour. 

 From behind each ear runs a black line ; which 

 soon divides into two, and extends downward 

 along the neck. The tail is bushy,, and sur- 

 rounded by dusky rings. 



This species is never found in flocks like the 

 common jackal, but always singly. He ventures 

 to approach, even in the open day, the houses 

 near his subterraneous abode; and carefully con- 

 cealed beneath thick bushes, he frequently creeps 

 silently among the poultry, carries off their eggs, 

 and leaves no traces of his exploits but the de- 

 vastations themselves. One of his principal ta- 

 lents consists in the hunting of birds ; and in this 

 he exhibits such cunning and agility, that they 

 seldom escape him. Of the cunning of this ani- 

 mal, a tolerable idea may be formed from the fol- 

 lowing narration of M. Sonnini. 



" One day," says that intelligent traveller, " as 

 I was meditating in a garden, I stopped near a 

 hedge. A Thaleb, hearing no noise, was coming 

 through the hedge towards me; and when he 



NO. II. L 



