THE JACKALS, 213 
long vibrissee on the lips; the eyebrows were pro- 
minent, which, with a peculiar expression of the 
eyes, gave it a look of suspicion and ferocity. 
The Jackal group is still smaller in size than the 
Thoes, seldom exceeding fifteen inches at the 
shoulder ; the form of the head is narrower, termi- 
nating in a pointed muzzle; the eyes small; the 
whiskers long; the ears rather large; the tail 
shorter than that of foxes, but nearly as well 
furnished with hair; their make is light and active, 
and the pupil of the eye round; they have six or 
eight mamme, and the cecum, according to Guel- 
denstadt, differs from that of the wolf and the fox. 
All have buff and fulvous colours, more or less 
mixed with grizzled white or brown hairs, and the 
tip of the tail is invariably dark. Belon is the 
only author who ascribes to them a beautiful yellow 
coloured fur (une belle couleur jaune), apparently 
carried away by his determination to make this 
species pass for the Aureus of Oppian. From the 
constancy of these characters it is difficult to divide 
them into species, although, from the immense 
territorial surface, and the variety of climate they 
inhabit, it is likely that there are several. 
