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Show 1866.] REV. H. B.TRISTRAM ON THE MAMMALS OF PALESTINE. 91 to the other, and a single Wolf is far more destructive than a whole pack of Jackals. Again and again have I put up the Syrian Wolf, and fired at it without success. Near Beersheba, in the hill country, in the forests of Bashan and Gilead, in the ravines of Galilee and Lebanon, and in the maritime plains it is alike distributed. We never saw two together, and I never heard of their hunting in packs. It is much to be wished that some traveller may be able to secure a specimen for examination ; for it may possibly prove to be a distinct variety. It is of a lighter fawn-colour than any European Wolf I ever saw, and appears decidedly larger. I can confirm the statement of Dr. Russell, that the natives speak of another, larger and fiercer species, called " Sheeb ;" but I could never obtain any clear definition of the distinctions between the two. Can the latter be Canis lycaon, Desm.? 58. CANIS FAMILIARIS, L. Three distinct breeds of Dogs are found generally in Syria :-(1) The familiar Pariah Dog of the towns and villages. (2) The Sheep Dog, of the same build and type, but much larger, and resembling our Colly, or Scotch Sheep-Dog, which also it considerably exceeds in size ; it is bold, intelligent, and faithful, and will rush on the wolf to its own destruction sooner than desert its flock. (3) The Persian Greyhound, much prized by the Bedouin sheikhs, and used for the chase of the Gazelle. With its elegant shape and the long silky hair of its ears and tail, it is perhaps the most beautiful race of its kind. 59. CANIS AUREUS, L. (=C. syriacus, Ehrenb.?). The Jackal swarms in incredible numbers in every part of the country. 60. HYAENA STRIATA, Zimm. Common in every part of Palestine, and indifferent as to the character of the country. W e obtained the young occasionally in spring, and procured on Mount Carmel the largest pair of adults I ever saw. The old rock-hewn tombs afford to the Hyaena convenient covert. It attacks the graves, even in the vicinity of towns. 61. FELIS JUBATA, Schreb. The Cheetah is scarce, though found in different parts of the country. A few still haunt the neighbourhood of Tabor and the hills of Galilee. In Gilead it is more common, and a sheikh there presented me with three skins of Cheetah shot by his people. 62. FELIS LEO, Linn. In spite of the assertions of several modern travellers, who have mistaken the Leopard for it, the Lion must be admitted to be now extinct in Palestine. Of its former abundance there can be no question, and it seems to have existed down to the times of the Crusades. Its bones have been found in recent diluvium by Dr. Roth. |
