THE CARACAL. 



211 



hungry courtiers assemble round the victim, and after the royal appetite has been 

 satiated, leave nothing but a few dry bones to tell of the animal that ranged freely 

 through the forest but an hour or two ago. 



No blame attaches to the black-eared Caracal for this dependent line of conduct, for, 

 as has already been mentioned, the lion himself disdains not to avail himself of a ready 

 killed prey, and to gorge himself thereon with as much satisfaction as if his own paw 

 had dealt the lethal blow. 



It is said that the Caracal will sometimes call in the aid of its fellows, and with their 

 assistance will secure even a large animal. Some authors assert that they will unite, 

 like hounds, in the chase of their prey, and will hunt it as regularly as a pack of wolves 

 or wild dogs. But the general opinion seems to be that the Caracal, even when assisted 

 by its companions, gives no open chase, but achieves its end by a few powerful bounds, 

 a stroke with the paw, and a fierce grip with the fangs on the throat of its victim. Some 

 authors assert that the Caracal is often tamed, and rendered useful in hunting ; being 



THE CARACAL* Caracal Melaaotls. 



trained to creep upon its prey and to spring from its place of concealment upon its 

 unsuspecting quarry. When the trained Caracal seizes its prey it crouches to the earth, 

 and lies motionless until its owner comes up and removes the slaughtered victim. 



The strength of this animal is very great in -comparison with its size. A captive 

 Caracal has been known to leap upon a large dog and to tear it in pieces, although the 

 dog defended itself to the best of its ability. 



The Caracal is spread over a very wide range of country, being known to inhabit large 

 portions of the Asiatic and African continents. Arabia, the Cape and its vicinity, 

 Egypt, Nubia, and Barbary, are the habitations of this animal, which is also found 

 spread over the greater part of India and Persia. The Arabs call this animal Anak- 

 el-ard. 



BY name, if not by sight, the common LvNxof Europe is familiar to us, and is known 

 as the type of a quick-sighted animal. The eyes of the Lynx, and the ears of the 



