166 



POETIC FANCIES. 



the ungainly body, immensely long neck, and spotted hide of the 

 giraffe; or with the ostrich, the camel of the bird-world, spreading his 

 plumes to the wind, and ftying with swift feet from the hunter or the 

 wild beast that pursues him. But, in truth, these are bold fancies, 

 artistic or poetic licenses, rather than exact representations of what one 

 really sees in the Desert; and most of the animals with which we 

 people, at our pleasure, the immense solitudes of Africa and Asia 

 actually belong to neighbouring regions of a less arid character. And, 



JACKALS DISPNTEKIXG DEAD BODIES. 



in the first place, the lion of the Desert is a myth, or nearly so. 

 " When you speak," says Carrette, "to the inhabitants of the Desert 

 of these ferocious beasts which Europeans give them as companions, 

 they reply with imperturbable coolness, ' You have, then, in your own 

 country, lions which drink air and browse on leaves? But, among us, 

 lions must have running water and live flesh. Therefore they only 

 appear in those parts of the Sahara where are wooded hills and an 

 abundance of water. We dread nothing but the viper (lefa) and the 



