[Illustration: JACKAL.]
The Jackal, five or six varieties of which are known, is common to the
whole of Africa, all the warm regions of Asia, and to portions of
Southern Europe. It is about the same length as the Fox, but stands a
little taller. Its coat is of a greyish-yellow color above, and white
beneath; its tail is tipped with black at the extremity.
Jackals live together in troops, which are sometimes composed of more
than a hundred individuals. Although their eyes are adapted for seeing
in daylight, they usually sleep during the day, and do not go abroad
until night to seek their food. To keep together they are constantly
howling, and their voice is sad, loud and unmusical. Their voracity and
audacity are unparallelled. They enter habitations, when opportunity
presents itself, and sweep off everything eatable they can reach;
devouring even boots, Horse harness and other articles made of leather.
In the desert they follow the caravans, prowl all night around their
encampment, and endeavor to carry off anything chance may throw in their
way. After the start of the caravan they rush upon the deserted
halting-place, greedily fighting for all the refuse. Captain Williamson
tells us that “Mr. Kinloch, who kept a famous pack of Hounds, having
chased a Jackal into a jungle, found it necessary to call off his Dogs,
in consequence of an immense herd of Jackals, which had suddenly
collected on hearing the cries of their brother, which the Hounds were
worrying. They were so numerous that not only the Dogs were defeated,
but the Jackals rushed out of cover in pursuit of them; and when Mr.
Kinloch and his party rode up to whip them off, their Horses were bit,
and it was not without difficulty that a retreat was effected. The pack
was found to have suffered so severely as not to be able to take the
field for several weeks.
“The Jackal is very watchful. He will wait at your door, and will enter
your house, and avail himself of the smallest opening for enterprise; he
will rob your roost, and steal Kids, Lambs, Pigs and sometimes even take
a Pup from its sleepy mother; he will strip a larder or pick the bones
of a carcass, all with equal avidity. It is curious to see them
fighting, almost within reach of your stick, to reach the expected
booty.
“Both Jackals and Foxes sham death to admiration. After having been
almost pulled to pieces by Dogs and left to all appearance lifeless,
they sometimes gradually cock their ears, then look askance at the
retiring enemy, and when they think themselves unobserved, steal under a
bank, and thus skulk along till they find themselves safe, when, setting
off at a trot or a canter, they make the best of their way to some place
of security.”