92 



The Living Animals of the World 



, /,„ L. M.^'ln.nl, F.Z.S.] [Korlh Fn> 



KORTH AFRICAN JACKAL. 

 This is the common jackal of Cairo and Lower Egypt. 



The Jackal. 



Of tlie Wild Canine Family, tlie Jackal is 



^^^^H|/ f 'fl^^^^^^^^^^^^^^l ^'^^^ next in numbers and iinpoitance to the 



^/^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^1 evolves. Probalnly in the Ea.st it is the most 



Wr^ -fc ^^^^^to^^^^^^^^^^^H numerous of any. In India, Egypt, and 



Svvia it regularly liaunts the outskirts of 

 cities, and lives on refuse. In the Indian 

 plains wounded animals are also killed by the 

 jackals. At night the creatures assemble in 

 packs, and scour the outskirts of the cities. 

 Horrible are the bowlings and weird the cries 

 of these hungry pacl^s. In Ceylon they live 

 in the hills and open country like foxes, 

 and kill the hares. When taken young 



ii' ' ' jackals can be tamed, and have all the 



manners of a dog. They wag their tails, 

 fawn on their master, roll over and stick 

 \x\) their paws, and could probably be domesti- 

 cated in a few generations, were it worth 

 while. They eat fruits and vegetables, such 

 as melons and pumpkins, eagerly. 

 In Africa two species are found — the ]>lack-backed Jackal and the Striped Jackal; the 



former is the size of a large English fox. The young jackals are born in holes or earths; 



six seems ti> be the usual number of puppies. They have nearly always a back door by 



which they can escape ; tliis is just large enough for the puppies to squeeze through, what- 

 ever their size. When fox-terriers are put into tlie earth, the jackal puppies fly out of their 



back doors, througli which, as u rule, the terriers are unable to follow them. Should there 



be no one outside, the puppies race out on to 



the veldt as hard as they can go. This jackal 



is terriljly destructive to sheep and lambs in 



the Colony. A reward of 7s. i\(l. per tail is 



paid to the Kaffirs for kilHng them. The Side- 



STRiFKii Jackal is a Central African species, 



said to hunt in packs, to interbreed with 



domestic dogs, and to be mo.st easily tamed. 

 Jjoth in India and South Africa the jackal 



has been found to be of some service to the 



white man by providing him witli a substi- 

 tute for the fox to liunt. It has quite as 



remarkable powers of endurance as the fox, 



though it does not tight in the same 



determined way when the hounds overtake it. 



But it is not easy to estimate the courage of 



a fox when in difficulties. The writer has 



known one, when coursed by two large grey- 



hound.s to disahh' Ijoth almost instantaneously. 



(Jiie was liitten acr(jss the muzzle, the other 



through the foot. The fox escaped without 



a bite from either. in India the hounds 



used are drafts from English packs. The 



hot weather does not suit them, and they 



Kil 



I'hoUj bii A. .S. Rudlaiul J- Sons. 



INDIAN JACKAL. 

 [niVian jackal might he sitting for his jiortrait in Mr. RiidyarJ 

 tale of the " uuJcrtakcrs'"— the jackal, alligator, ar.d adjutant. 



Tl 



