The National tribune., 1889-12-12

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| would seem, from the descriptions of Col. But
| Ter, Robinson, etc, that the wolverine far sur
| passes the Arctic fox in general intelligence.
The gray species of America is almost exclu-
sively a hunter, and according TO Audubon sell
dom molests the farmers possessions; but the
red fox, both of this country aud Europe, is not
| only very Cacus or Autolychos among animals,
| but is so destructive SO bloodthirsty, and SO
| remarkably well able to take care of himself
| that he may be said to have overshadowed the
| whole order with his own evil reputation.
| Cuvier says that he is dexterous and cunning
a statement which observation fully corrobo.
rates According to Goldman this form Is dis
tingushed by the possession of keen senses and
| great sagacity, which enables him almost TO
| bid defiance TO traps" SO acute, indeed, is the
sense of smell, that st. John found that the
taint of human touch could be detected upon u
trap for days after 1t had been handled. But
all the senses are not equally perfect The nose
| of the red fox is better than his car, because,
although he is in the habit OF laring various
creatures upon whom he prays within reach
by INITIATING THEIR VOICES,
Lloyd found that he might be betrayed by tho
same means himself and whereas DIR. Kali
sternius thinks the same fox is never twice
taken in trap. both Winborg and Count Beck
frus succeeded in calling those who might have
been supposed to be fully cognizant of the
stratagem.
he unhesitatingly amputates his own foot, while
Lloyd mentions a case where both feet were
bitten of. and this without seriously impairing
The power OF l0comotion. In proportion TO his
size Reynard possesses great vigor and strength,
so that Immediately after so serious a mutila-
ton as this, Gerstaecker in Arkansas, st. John
in the Scotch Highlands and Stearns in Iabra-
dor, found IL impossible TO run down the red
fox on foot.
Again, there is a curious disparity in the
manner in which he conceives raid, the mode
IN which he executes the project, the SIX with
which actual pursuit, If il be undertaken, is
evaded, and the apparent absence OF iorethought
and use of precautions when he has been un-
disturbed in the commission of his misdeeds,
For example, in Winter, when the tell-tale
snow reveals the robbers movements, his trail
indicates that he has endeavored by every kind
oil device for confusing his track TO conceal the
point from which he started-his burrow. If
nothing occurs to prevent it, he gets to the
hen-roost and kills every living thing lie can
cateh-coulmits murder out of all proportion To
his needs. But tden, and with grotesque
sembance TO the mental phenomena often no
tieed among human criminals, he acts as If he
had suddenly become idiotic. Then the necessity
ior conceaiment is even more pressing than 1t
was while he was doing everything in his power
to ensure 1t, yet he does nothing he might be
supposed TO do from his previous proceedings.
changes the state of mind superyenes and tho
animal returns to its home by the shortest aud
easiest route leaving perfectly plain trail be-
hind. The anomalous part of this behavior IS
that, IL instead of being left TO himself ho were
caught In the act aud pursued. he would Mt
once put in practice all those we'll known tricks
OF evasion, which involve so much intelligence
aud reasoning power AS to quito justify the
assertion that he is :" the subtlcst of all the
British beasts of the field -
With this very meager and imperfect notice
oil some OF his more salient traits, we must drop
this interesting animal and turn TO that pariah
among the CanidT. the jackal. This animal is
not attractive in itself Living to a great ex-
tent In populated regions whore II is
TOO USEFUL As A scAyESGER
TO be generally molested. and offering no reward
of any kind to the hunter, the jackal has not
acquired many Of the characteristics by which
other wild beasts are distinguished. Contact
with man has probably contributed TO increase
its cowardice, and as il preys only upon very
small animals or those larger ones which have
been disabled, or upon oifal, there Is little in
the struggle for existence 10 develop those traits
distinguishing the predatory nature Like tho
tox aud opossum, jackals often fcign death
when caught, and IL is said that they possess re-
markable tenacity of life. But for the most
part, records only enable us TO describe this
creature by negatives, his way of living being
such as 10 involve few positive qualities except
the commonplace attributes of self assurance.
acqnisitivcness aud energetic action. IL Is his
associations that make the iackal interesting.
IN India the natives profess 10 be able TO dis
tinguish the cry OF the kole bahlo0, or old
jackal, who attends tho prowling tiger by night.
Many sportsmen have supposed that the latter
uses this creature 10 find game his senses being
more acute than those which no himself pos.
sesses. Others, Capts. Rice aud johnson,
with Dr. Jerdon, think that the jackal follows
the tiger in expectation of feeding upon what
he leaves. In North Africa the Arabs call this
animal the lions provider," upon the suppo.
stion that IL indicates his prey. Gerard, how
ever, who mentions their constant association,
regards tho jackal as "A satellite OF " tho sultan
of the desert" The latter is tho moro probable
hypothesis, although companionships apparent
ly far more ineongrnons than this are known 10
exist. Gen. Dumas. Gerard etc. assure us that
the hunter may be absolutely sure that
hungry lion intent on slaughter is approaching,
by the peculiar cry of the iaekal at that time.
We also learn from many Of the African sports
men that both tho hycna and jackal are fire.
quentiy killed by the "kiHg Of beasts" on ne
count Of the intrusivencas aud want Of respect
into which their appettes betray them. a
more singular circumstance, however is that
the lion mutilates these creatures with what
appears like deliberate cruelty; the design
being. apparently, not 10 destroy but 20 disable
them
There is no single living being that would
not we'll repay an exhaustive study Of It's char.
acters and capacities but. far as tile records 0f
descriptive zoology are concerned, IL must be
confessed that, whereas the fox Is one Of the
most interesting Of animals little can he found
concerning the jackal which is calculated 10
excite general attention.
ITO be c0atiHRcd)