NATURE NOTES. 
1 86 
silvery, lively-looking fish, with a delicious odour of cucumber 
when handled. Like the “ black-fish,” previously mentioned, it 
seems to be peculiar to the rivers of the northern part of our 
island-colony. These cucumber grayling are very abundant in 
some seasons, swimming in shoals, and jumping at the flies and 
moths which play over the surface of the water. They are a 
delicately-flavoured fish, and are great favourites with those 
visitors who come to the garden-colony to escape the burning 
sun of an Australian summer. 
Table Cape. H. Stuart Dove. 
JACKALS. 
INN.diUS called the jackal by the Latin name Canis 
aureus, or “ golden dog ” owing, no doubt, to the 
assumed colour of its fur, and most naturalists have 
retained this name to the present day, though the 
colour of the fur is variously given by some of them as 
follows : — (i) mixed grey and white, and tawny on the shoulders, 
haunches, and legs ; (2) ruddy yellowish-grey generally, and 
darker on the back ; (3) yellowish-grey above, and whiter 
below, thighs and legs yellow, ears ruddy, with a black tip on 
the tail ; (4) grey above, and abruptly changing to a paler tint 
below ; (5) dusky yellow tint, hairs mottled black, grey, and 
brown, lower parts yellowish-grey, and tail reddish-brown 
ending in a darkish tuft ; (6) ground tint, a dirty fawn, becoming 
blacker on the side and back, under surface white, reddish- 
yellow, or grey, with ill-defined dark bands on the shoulders and 
hind-quarters ; (7) a pale isabelline to a pale rufous, with a 
larger or smaller admixture of black on the upper parts, the 
under parts are paler, the muzzle, ears, and outer sides of the 
limbs more rufous than the rest, the reddish brown hairs of 
the tail have long black tips, thus forming a distinct black tip 
to the tail itself. 
I might, indeed, add to this list, but enough has been said to 
show that it is by no means an easy task to define the precise 
colour of the fur of this animal, and for the simple reason, in my 
humble judgment, that some specimens have been viewed with 
their summer and some with the winter coat on, while sufficient 
consideration has not been, perhaps, given to the age and locality 
of the animal, which greatly affects the colour of its fur. Again, 
some of our naturalists may have described the African variety 
of jackal, which is known to be generally of a greyer hue than 
its Indian congener. I may also add that, like some other 
mammals and birds, fish and insects, due allowance must be 
made for that provision of Nature which enables them to suit 
their general colour to their surroundings, presumably by way 
of self-protection. 
