142 canidjE. 



2nd. Jackals. Saecalius, Hamilton Smith. 



Of moderate size, gregarious ; brush rather scanty. 



136. Canis aureus. 



LiNNiEUS. — Blyth, Cat. 124. — Elliot, Cat. 18. — Khold or Kold, H., in 



^ the South of India and Mahr. — Kolya, in some parts. — Gidar or Ghi- 



dar, H., in the North. — SMal or Sial, or Sidr and SJiialu, in Bengal 



and adjacent provinces. — Nari, Can. — Nakha, Tel. — Nerha of Gonds. — 



Shigal or Sjehal, in Persia, whence our English word. — Amu, Bhot. 



The Jackal. 



Descr. — Fur of a dusky yellowish or rufous gray, the hairs being 

 mottled black, gray, and brown, with the under fur brownish-yellow ; 

 lower parts yellowish-gray ; tail reddish brown, ending in a darkish tuft ; 

 more or less rufous on the muzzle and Umbs ; tail moderately hairy. 



Length, head and body, 28 to 30 inches ; tail 10 or 11 ; height about 

 16-17 inches. 



The jackal varies considerably in the color of its fur according to season 

 and locality. A black variety is by no means rare in Bengal ; but I never 

 saw or heard of it in the south of India. 



This well known animal abounds throughout all India, and its habits are 

 too well known to require much notice. It occurs also in Ceylon, but is 

 rare in lower Burmah, and said to be only of recent introduction there. 

 It is a very useful scavenger, clearing away all garbage and carrion from 

 the neighbourhood of large towns, but occasionally committing depreda- 

 tions among poultry and other domestic animals. Sickly sheep and goats 

 usually fall a prey to him ; and a wounded antelope is pretty certain to 

 be tracked and hunted to death by jackals. They will however partake 

 freely of vegetable food. Sykes says he devastates the vineyards in the west 

 of India ; in Bhagulpore he is said to be fond of sugar-cane ; and he every 

 ' where consumes large quantities of the ber fruit, Zizyphus jujuba. In 

 Wynaad as well as in Ceylon, he devours considerable quantities of ripe 

 ' coffee berries : the seeds pass through him, well pulped, and are found 

 and picked up by the coolies ; and it is asserted, that the seeds so found 

 make the best coffee ! 

 ' ' The female jackal brings forth about four young in holes in the ground, 

 6'ocasionally in dry drains in cantonments. The jackal is easily pulled 



