98 THE WONDERS OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. 



all the day, coming out at night to hunt. The prevalent notion that the jackal is the purveyor 

 of the lion is wholly founded in error. It is well known that the scent of the lion is not very acute, 

 which is a wholly different case with the jackal, and lured on by the power of its scent, it fills the air 

 with the most horrid howlings whenever it begins the chace. This sound is echoed by a hundred 

 similar voices ; the lion, panther, and other beasts of prey take advantage of the general consternation, 

 and follow the jackals in silence, till they have hunted down their prey, when they come up and devour 

 the fruits of the jackals' labours, leaving them only the remains of the spoil. 



The shriek of the jackal has been often described, and by many writers has been designated as more 

 terrific than the roar of the tiger or the howl of the hyaena. In this report, however, a great deal 

 must be laid to the account of the particular circumstances under which the sound is heard. Captain 

 Beechey, in his expedition to explore the northern coasts of Africa, speaking of the " chacal's shriek," 

 says, " the cry of the jackal has something in it rather appalling when heard for the first time at 

 night ; and as they usually come in packs, the first shriek which is uttered is always the signal for a 

 general chorus. We hardly know a sound which partakes less of harmony than that which is at 

 present in question ; and, indeed, the sudden burst of the answering long-protracted scream, succeeding 

 immediately to the opening note, is scarcely less impressive than the roll of the thunder-clap imme- 

 diately after a flash of lightning. The effect of this music is very much increased when the first note 

 is heard in the distance, a circumstance which often occurs, and the answering yell bursts out from 

 several points at once within a few yards or feet of the place where the auditors are sleeping." 



A variety of opinions exists in regard to the domestication of the jackal, supposing that such a 

 thing were desirable. Shaw says, that when taken young it is easily tamed, attaches itself to mankind, 

 distinguishes its master, comes on being called by its name, shews an attachment to dogs instead of 

 flying from them, and has all the other peculiarities of character by which the dog is distinguished. 

 On the other hand, it has been stated, that the difficulty of the domestication of the jackal arises from 

 two causes, the first of which is the strong odour which he emits, which in filthiness is equal to that of 

 the fox, and the other is the extreme timidity which is evinced by the animal at the approach of a 

 stranger, and this is particularly observable in the animals from which our drawing is taken. Their 

 den is no sooner approached than they appear to be in a state of alarm, and exhibit all the un- 

 easiness which is generally the attendant of a savage animal in a state of confinement ; and it is pro- 

 bably owing to that very state, that the dispositions of the animal display themselves in a wholly 

 different manner than when in its savage one ; for Captain Beechey says, that he has frequently gone 

 close up within a few yards of a jackal in the wild state before he would turn to walk away. 



The female breeds only once a year, goes with young about four weeks, and brings forth from six to 

 eight at a time. There is, however, an instance on record in which the female jackal whelped in this 

 country, and the whelps were at first as blind as those of the dog. 



