5o6 



CARNIVORES. 



Africa the fur of the bhick -backed jackal is much esteemed bj' the natives, and is 

 used for making their cloaks or caresses. 

 Side-striped The second species of South African jackal is tlie side-striped 



JackaL jackal {Canis adustiis), so named from the oblique light-coloured 

 stripe running along the flanks. This stripe is, however, very variable in its 

 distinctness and degree of development, as may be seen by contrasting our two 

 figures of tliia animal ; and, in consequence of this difi'erence, the species has been 

 described under two specific names — the so-called C. lateralis being now proved to 

 be identical with the earlier C. adustus, founded upon a specimen in which the 



;^^H5«5«^, \>/^ 



. THE SIDE-STRIPED JACK.M. (J nat. size). 



sti-ipe was but little apparent. The side-striped jackal differs from all the other 

 species in the dark brown colour of the hair on the back of the ears ; the ears 

 themselves being relatively rather shorter than in the preceding species, although 

 longer than in the common jackal. The snout is characterised by its length and 

 slendemess. The general colour of the fur is yellowish brown, becoming paler on 

 the under-parts. In examples which exhibit the feature from which the species 

 takes its name, a light-coloured line runs on each side of the bodj' from behind 

 the .shoulder-blade to a point near the root of tlie tail, a black line bordering the 

 lower margin of this stripe. The gi-eater portion of the tail is black, but its 

 extremity is white. 



This species has a wide distribution in Central and Southern Africa, having 



