tTHE BARBARY JACKAL. 247 



liibits such surprising craft and agility, that very 

 few are able to escape him. 



His cunning is strongly depicted in the following 

 narration of M. Sonnini : — " One day, as I was me- 

 ditating in a garden, I stopped near a hedge. A 

 Thaleb, hearing no noise, was coming through the 

 hedge towards me ; and when he had cleared him- 

 self, was just at my feet. On perceiving me, he 

 was seized with such surprise, that he remained mo- 

 tionless for some seconds, without even attempting to 

 escape, his eyes fixed steadily on me. Perplexity was 

 painted in his countenance, by a degree of express 

 sion of which I could not have supposed him suscep- 

 tible, and which denoted great delicacy of instinct. 

 On my part, I was afraid to move, lest I should put 

 an end to this situation, which afforded me much 

 pleasure. At length, after he had taken a few steps, 

 first towards one side and then the other, as if so 

 confused as not to know w'hich way to get off, and 

 keeping his eyes still turned towards me, he retired ; 

 not running, but stretching himself out, or rather 

 creeping with a slow step, setting down his feet one 

 after another with singular precaution. He seemed 

 so much afraid of making a noise in his flight, that 

 he held up his large tail, almost in an horizontal 

 line, that it might neither drag on the ground nor 

 brush against the plants. On the other side of the 

 hedge I found the fragments of his meal ; that had 

 consisted of a bird of prey, great part of which he 

 had devoured." 



He is one of the prettiest of quadrupeds; and per- 

 haps would be one of the most amiable, if his tricks 



R 4 



