THE BLACK-BACKED JACKAL 
the country, which in course of time must inevitably 
end ‘in the extermination of the jackal. However, 
owing to the nature of some portions of the country, 
the ,time will be far distant before that desirable 
end can be attained. 
The weapons of the colonist, in the shape of fire- 
arms, dogs, traps, and poison, are opposed by the 
jackal with a brain developed to a high pitch of 
cunning, the acutest- of hearing, sight, powers of 
scent and taste. With these faculties, combined ’ 
with the cover which the dense, matted, thorny 
scrub affords him, the jackal has so far not only 
been able to hold his own in the battle in many 
districts, but has actually considerably increased 
in numbers. 
To trap a jackal, extra special precautions must 
be taken, and even so it is doubtful if the animal 
will be captured, so suspicious has it become. When 
a jackal sallies forth in search of a meal, all its facul- 
ties are keenly on the alert. If man learns by experi- 
ence, so too does the jackal. 
Even poisoned bait is frequently unsuccessful, 
for the reason that the jackal’s senses of taste and 
smell being so highly developed, it easily detects 
the poison and refuses to eat the bait. 
Strychnine is the poison usually employed. A 
plan which meets with a fair share of success is 
to make balls of fat about the size of marbles, in 
the centre of each of which a fatal dose of strych- 
nine has been introduced. These are placed 
10] 
