1866.] REV. H. B.TRISTRAM ON THE MAMMALS OF PALESTINE. 91 



to the other, and a single Wolf is far more destructive than a whole 

 pack of Jackals. Again and again have I put up the Syrian Wolf, 

 and fired at it without success. Near Beersheba, in the hill countrv, 

 in the forests of Bashan and Gilead, in the ravines of Galilee and 

 Lebanon, and in the maritime plains it is alike distributed. We 

 never saw two together, and I never heard of their hunting in packs. 

 It is much to be wished that some traveller may be able to secure a 

 specimen for examination ; for it may possibly prove to be a distinct 

 variety. It is of a lighter fawn-colour than any European Wolf I 

 ever saw, and appears decidedly larger. I can confirm the statement 

 of Dr. Russell, that the natives speak of another, larger and fiercer 

 species, called " Sheeb ;" but I could never obtain any clear defini- 

 tion of the distinctions between the two. Can the latter be Canis 

 lycaon, Desm. ? 



58. Canis familiaris, L. 



Three distinct breeds of Dogs are found generally in Syria: — (1) 

 The familiar Pariah Dog of the towns and villages. (2) The Sheep 

 Dog, of the same build and type, but much larger, and resembling 

 our Colly, or Scotch Sheep-Dog, which also it considerably exceeds 

 in size ; it is bold, intelligent, and faithful, and will rush on the 

 wolf to its own destruction sooner than desert its flock. (3) The 

 Persian Greyhound, much prized by the Bedouin sheikhs, and used 

 for the chase of the Gazelle. With its elegant shape and the long silky 

 hair of its ears and tail, it is perhaps the most beautiful race of its 

 kind. 



59. Canis aureus, L. (=C. syriacus, Ehrenb.?). 



The Jackal swarms in incredible numbers in every part of the 

 country. 



60. Hy^na striata, Zimm. 



Common in every part of Palestine, and indifferent as to the cha- 

 racter of the country. We obtained the young occasionally in 

 spring, and procured on Mount Carmel the largest pair of adults I 

 ever saw. The old rock-hewn tombs afford to the Hyaena conve- 

 nient covert. It attacks the graves, even in the vicinity of towns. 



61. Felis jubata, Schreb. 



The Cheetah is scarce, though found in different parts of the 

 country. A few still haunt the neighbourhood of Tabor and the 

 hills of Galilee. In Gilead it is more common, and a sheikh there 

 presented me with three skins of Cheetah shot by his people. 



62. Felis leo, Linn. 



In spite of the assertions of several modern travellers, who have 

 mistaken the Leopard for it, the Lion must be admitted to be now 

 extinct in Palestine. Of its former abundance there can be no 

 question, and it seems to have existed down to the times of the Cru- 

 sades. Its bones have been found in recent diluvium by Dr. Roth. 



