86 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE. 



of North Africa, the Kit Fox, the Red, the Grey and the 

 Silver Fox of North America, and the Arctic Fox {Leucocyon 

 lagopus) are the best known. 



The Jackal The Jackal, one of the most common of wild 

 animals ia the East, is about the size of the fox, but 

 in shape it more nearly resembles the wolf. Its colour is a 

 bright yellow, or sorrel. Its cry is a howl, mixed with barking, 

 and a lamentation resembling that of human distress. The 

 jackal may be considered as the vulture of the quadruped 

 kind; the most putrid substances that once had life, are 

 greedily devoured. Like the hysena, the jackals scratch up 

 with their feet the new-made grave, and devour the contents, 

 however decomposed. While at this dreary work, they make 

 a mournful cry, like that of children under chastisement, and 

 having thus dug up the body, they amicably share it. In 

 countries, therefore, where they aboimd, the people are obUged 

 to beat the earth over the grave, and mix it with thorns, to 

 prevent the jackals from scraping it away. The jackal never 

 goes alone, but always in packs of forty or fifty together. 

 They watch the burying-grounds, follow armies, and keep in 

 the rear of caravans. The jackal, after having tired down its 

 prey, is often deprived of the spoil by the lion, the panther, 

 •or the tiger, whose appetites are superior to their swiftness; 

 these attend its call, and devour the prey which' it has run 

 down by its unceasing perseverance ; and this circumstance 

 has given rise to the erroneous opinion, that the jackal is the 

 lion's provider. The jackal is found in some parts of Europe 

 and abounds in most parts of Asia. Those of the warmest 

 climates are the largest, and their colour is rather of a reddish 

 brown than of that beautiful yellow by which the smaller 

 jackals are distinguished. Like the Fox it forms burrows in 

 the earth and emits an offensive odour. 



The ■Wolfs " "^1^® Wolf," says Professor Dimcan in " Cassell's 

 mode of Natural History", " usually lives in solitary places 

 Attack. ^ moimtains; but in Spain he is said sometimes 



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