LESSONS IN NATURAL HISTORY.-No. XIII.

THE JACKAL.

(Order CARNIVORA.)

THE jackal is an animal resembling both the dog and the fox. It abounds throughout the Levant, Syria, and the eastern world, and in Africa from Barbary to the Cape of Good Hope. Its size is that of our common fox; its skin emits a strong and offensive odour; the pupils of its eyes are round, the ears are pointed, the tail is bushy, reaching only to the heel, and black at its extremity. The upper part of the body is a dirty yellow, a darker mark running along the back and sides; the under parts are yellowish white.

"The tiger turned about and frowned,

Then sought the wild woods with a bound,
Growling, what tiger ever deigned

To eat a meal a mouse had gained !"

To the wolf he whispered that, if he touches the prey, he will
have to settle matters with the tiger; and he disposes, with equal
facility, of the claims of the mouse, by describing the tiger as a cat.
Th' ichneumon now approached alone,

To whom the thief with altered tone:-
'If you, sir, dare maintain a right
In th' antelope, prepare to fight!'
'Not for the world,' th' ichneumon cried;
'One loss I patiently abide,

The loss, when hungry, of a meal;
But wounds are difficult to heal,
Nor will I now expose my paw
To burns from violence or law.""

"Trust not a shrewd projector's plan,

The jackal lives in packs or troops, frequenting ruins and the suburbs of all towns and villages throughout the coast, and along the shores of Africa. These animals come forth from their lurking places by night, and scour the streets and fields in search of food. In so doing they act as valuable scavengers, for they greedily And now comes the moral :devour carrion of every description, the offal of the shambles, and all the filth for which eastern houses are remarkable. But to this food they do not confine themselves; for they hunt down such animals as are too feeble to resist, or too slow to escape, their attack. The wounded antelope is, therefore, sure to fall a sacrifice; but having struck down their victim, it sometimes happens that the roused lion stalks in among a troop of jackals, and despotically appropriates the booty to himself.

Mr. Warburton

thus describes the. cry of these creatures: Troops of jackals, after dark, serenaded us with their mournful yelpings, of all cries the most sad and melancholy. Imagine some dozen children of tender age, mourning and sobbing to allay their pain, then bursting forth in chorus with bitter and heartrending lamentation; such is the cry of the jackal." A different impression is produced by the statement of Captain Beechey:-The cry of the jackal has something in it rather appalling when beard for the first time at night; and as animals

of this kind usually come in packs, the first shriek that is

Until you know and prove your man;
E'en then proceed with thoughtful care,
Lest, losing your invested share,

You mourn your labour, worse than lost,
Whilst knavery revels at your cost."

There is sometimes great difficulty in identifying the animals alluded to in the Sacred Scrintoree

THE JACKAL,

uttered is a signal for a general chorus. 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 immediately after a flash of lightning."

The jackal has been called "the lion's provider," because he is commonly supposed to hunt down the quarry for this noble beast; but the story is destitute of foundation. At least, if there be any ground whatever for the opinion, it is simply this: that when the cry of the jackal is heard, the lion comes forth, as above-mentioned, and, without any ceremony, seizes on all he can obtain.

An ingenious writer has turned the tables on the jackal, in a fable, with a moral which, known and observed, would have preserved many from serious injury. A jackal, leading forth a motley crew, determines that they shall assist him in the capture of an antelope, and this is speedily affected.

"Now," thought the jackal, "how shall I
Cheat each companion with a lie?

If for myself I keep the feast,

'Twill last me for a week at least."

For example: there are

several allusions in the Bible to an animal whose name, in the authorised translation, is rendered by the word fox, and which has habits ascribed to it not recognised in the natural history of that animal. The original word, in Hebrew, is shual, and, according to the opinion of many eminent men, it should be rendered by the word juckal. The grapes are sour, is a phrase derived from the fabulous saying of the fox when the fruit of the vine was beyond his reach: but it may be traced to a fact popularly received respecting the habits of the shual in the countries where it dwells. In the "Song of Solomon," we

| read concerning the same animal: "Take me the foxes,-the little But the fox, it should be known, foxes that destroy the vines."

is no lover of the fruit of the vine; while the contrary is the case with the jackal.

The celebrated botanist, Hasselquist, alluding to the abundant produce of the vine near the Convent of St. John, in the wilderness of Judea, about vintage-time, adds, that "the owners are obliged to set guards over the vines, to prevent jackals from destroying them." Colonel Sykes, also, in his notes on the jackal of India, which appears to be identical with the jackal (shagal) of Persia and the Levant, says, in that country "they are numerous, and terrible depredators in the vineyards."

account

of its reference to the same animal, is," Israel, thy prophets
Another passage of Scripture deserving notice, on
are like the foxes in the deserts. They shall be a portion
for foxes." Here, too, the term shual is more properly ren-
dered jackal. "These animals," says Mr. Roberts, "are
exceedingly numerous in the East, and are remarkably cua-
ning and voracious." Speaking of them in India, he adds:-
"They will not, in general, dare to attack man; but let
graveyards are often disturbed by these animals; and after they

Finding a way of doing this, he tells the tiger that the making him be helpless, or dead, and they have no hesitation.
the victim was the work of the mouse :-

Thus our

have once tasted of human flesh, they (as well as many other crea. tures) are said to prefer it to any other. Their cunning is proverbial: thus, a man of plots and schemes is called a nareyan, i. e., a jackal. Ah! only give that fellow a tail, and he will make a capital jackal.' Begone, low caste, or I will give thee to the jackals.'

In the history of Samson is recorded his destruction of the cornfields of the Philistines by means of foxes, tied tail to tail, and a firebrand put in the midst between two tails. Volney, who rejected the Scriptures, found here what he imagined to be a good point for attacking them. He states, "that in Syria, the wolf and the real fox are very rare, though there is a prodigious quantity of the middle species, which go in droves." And, again, he says:"Jackals are concealed by hundreds in the gardens, and among ruins and tombs." In such circumstances, there was no difficulty in Samson's procuring three hundred of these animals, especially as the time he had to provide them for this purpose was not limited to a week or a month. Besides, it should be recollected, that Samson sustained the highest office in the commonwealth of Israel, and could be at no loss for persons to assist him in the accomplishment of this task.

There are not wanting men of eminence, however, who consider that foxes might have been employed, notwithstanding the denial of their existing in sufficient numbers, as stated by Volney; and among them is Colonel Hamilton Smith, who, observing it to be commonly supposed that two foxes were tied together by their tails with a firebrand between them, &c., declares that the opinion is wanting in due authority. He says:-"We understand the text to mean that each fox had a separate brand; and most naturally so, for it may be questioned whether two united would run in the same direction. They would assuredly pull counter to each other, and ultimately fight most fiercely; whereas, there can be no doubt that every canine would run direct to their holes, and sportsmen well know the necessity of stopping up those of the fox while the animal is abroad, or there is no chance of a chase. We therefore submit that, by the words rendered tail to tail,' we should understand the end of the firebrand attached to the extremity of the tail. "Finally, as the operation of tying three hundred brands to as many fierce and irascible animals could not be effected in one day

run

4. When two nouns are joined by ni repeated, or when ni l'un ni l'autre is used as nominative to a verb, the verb is put in the plural, if the two nouns, or the two persons represented by ni l'un ni l'autre, perform or may perform the action together:Ni l'un ni l'autre ne liront. Neither the one nor the other will rea

5. When, however, only one at a time can perform the action, the verb is put in the singular :Ni l'un ni l'autre ne sera nommé Neither the one nor the other will be ap préfet de ce départment. pointed prefect of that department.

Auteur, m. author.
Devoir, m. duty.
Eli-re, 4. ir. to elect.
Ecriture, f. writing.

Expos-er, 1. to expose.
Intêret, m. interest.

Neither the one nor the other found
the wine good.
Both found the dinner bad.
How do your brothers find themselves!
Neither find themselves well.
They both found themselves at the place
of meeting.
Neither will be elected president.

He or you have found something to
One or the other will find fault with it.

blame in our conduct,

Neither he nor I have found any fault with your children's conduct.

EXERCISE 165.
Plutôt, rather.
Rempl ir, 2. to fulfil.
Rôti, m. roast meat.
Secrétaire, m. secretary.
Trouv-er, 1. to find, to
like, to fancy.

Se trouv-er, 1.ref.to find
one's self.
Veill-er, 1. to watch.
Vie, f. life.

by a single man, nor produce the result intended if done in one place, it seems more probable that the name of Samson, as the chief director of the act, is employed to represent the whole party which effected his intentions in different places at the same time, and 1. Remplissez-vous bien votre devoir? 2. Nous ne le remthereby insured that general conflagration of the harvest which was plissons ni l'un ni l'autre. 3. Cherchent-ils l'un et l'autre à the signal of open resistance on the part of Israel to the long-s'exposer? 4. Ni l'un ni l'autre ne cherchent à exposer leur vie endured oppression of the Philistine people." (LA BRUYERE). 5. M. votre père et Mme. votre mère, se trouvent-ils mieux aujourd'hui ? 6. Ni l'un ni l'autre ne se trouvent mieux. 7. Avez-vous trouvé à redire à mon écriture ou à celle de mon secrétaire? 8. Je n'ai trouvé à redire ni à l'une ni à l'autre. 9. Cet auteur ne trouve-t-il pas à redire à tout? 10. Il trouve à redire à tous les livres. 11. Y trouvez-vous quelque chose à redire ? 12. Ni lui ni moi n'y trouvons rien à redire. 13. Lui ou moi, nous veillerons à vos intêrets. 14. Ni lui ni moi ne cesserons de veiller à la conduite de votre fils, 15. Nous y veillerons plutôt que d'y trouver à redire. 16. Lui et moi nous trouvâmes ensemble au rendezvous. 17. Vous y trouverez vous l'un ou l'autre? 18. Nous nous y trouverons l'un ou l'autre. 19. L'un ou l'autre sera-t-il élu président? 20. Ni l'un ni l'autre ne sera élu. 21. Comment trouvez-vous ce rôti? 22. Je le trouve excellent. 23. Je trouve ce livre bon. 24. Je ne le trouve pas bon. 25. Je trouve cela bien fait. EXERCISE 166.

[On this opinion of Col. H. Smith we would remark, that he has himself supplied a reason for the tying of two foxes or jackals together "tail to tail," namely, that they would otherwise run each to his own hole for fear; whereas, being coupled, the one would one way, and the other another way, and so produce the desired effect-the burning of the corn. As to their pulling entirely counter to each other, and fighting, this is not at all likely (but he should have tried the experiment), seeing that they would be under the influence of the most powerful motives-both fear and pain, and as they would naturally run to avoid both, there would be neither time nor inclination for fighting in the midst of the flames; therefore, they would make common cause, and run together for fear of the common enemy.]

LESSONS IN FRENCH.-No. XXXVII.
By Professor LOUIS FASQUELLE, LL.D.
SECTION LXXXIII.

1. How do you like that book? 2. Neither my sister nor I like it. 3. Did your brothers find the dinner good? 4. Both found it very good. 5. Did the professor find fault with your conduct? 6. He did not find fault with it.__ 7. Neither he nor my father find fault with my conduct. 8. Do they both watch over your conduct? 9. They both watch over my conduct and over my interests. 10. Have you both fulfilled your duty? His love, his tenderness for his chil-11. We have fulfilled it. 12. Have you not both criticised my dren, are known to everybody.

1. WHEN a verb is preceded by several nouns not connected by et, it agrees with the last only, provided the nouns are in some way synonymous, or the mind dwells more forcibly upon

the last :

Son amour, sa tendresse pour ses

enfants est connue de tout le monde.

Vos amis, vos parents, Dieu vous récompensera.

Your friends, your relatives, God
will reward you.

2. When two or more nouns are united by the conjunction ou, the verb agrees with the last only :

writing? 13. Neither has criticised it. 14. Do not your two sisters find themselves better to-day? 15. One finds herself better. 16. The other does not find herself so well. 17. Do not those ladies find fault with every thing? 18. They find fault with nothing. 19. Will either be elected prefect of the department? 20. Neither will be elected. 21. How do

Il est en France, et est devenu He is in France, and has turned law places, and also of things in the sense of to abandon, to give

We have discontinued our studies. 4. Laisser, to leave, to let, is generally said of things. It is, however, said of persons in the sense of to suffer to remain :— The greatest number of travellers Vous avez laissé votre livre sur la You left your book upon the table.

180

4. Il a quitté la France, mais il n'a pas quitté le service. 5. Où avez vous laissé votre fils? 6. Je l'ai laissé dans une pension. 7. Est-i! trop jeune pour quitter ses études? 8. Il est trop jeune; il n'a que douze ans. 9. A qui avez-vous laissé votre carte de visite? 10. Je l'ai laissée chez le portier. 11. Pourquoi ne le laissez-vous pas parler? 12. Parce qu'il est temps que nous vous quittions. 13. Me permettez-vous de lui communiquer cela? 14. Je vous laisse le champ libre à cet égard. 15. Ce jeune homme n'a-t-il pas quitté ses mauvaises habitudes? 16. Il les a quittées. 17. M. L. n'a-t-il pas quitté la robe pour l'épée 18. Oui, Monsieur; il n'est plus juge; il est capitaine. 19. Ces pêches quittent-elles facilement le noyau? 20. Non, Monsieur; ce sont des pavies. 21. Je vous laisse cet habit pour cinquante francs. 22. A quel prix me le laisserez-vous? 23. Je vous le laisserai pour dix francs. 24. Je vous le laisse à bon compte ; je ne saurais vous le laisser à moins.

EXERCISE 170.

being correct, the truth is, that the children had been previously so
well drilled that they had learned the oratorio entirely by rote, a fact of
which he must have been perfectly aware. This result was certainly an
instance of the doctor's great patience and perseverance (and I have myself
seen him labouring for an hour in getting the children to master a few bars
of the more difficult passages), but it was by no means an impossible task,
for we are all familiar with the aptitude of children for learning music by
heart, and the practice of many masters in so teaching them, without the
smallest pretension being made to their ability to read music. I may add,
that I have never in my experience met with a single reader of music who
had learned under the Mainzerian system; and it is a singular fact that, on
the occasion of the performance I have alluded to, not one of the doctor's
adult pupils were qualified for the tenor and bass parts-these being taken by
the professional choristers of the town! In short, it were easy to prove to
demonstration the impracticability of overcoming the defects inseparable
from this system, but this has already been ably illustrated in the lessons in
the EDUCATOR. I am afraid I have trespassed too much on your time, but
I have been induced to trouble you with the above remarks in the hope of
their being useful in encouraging the pupils of the EDUCATOR to redouble
their exertions, and resolve to profit by its invaluable lessons.
wishes for the continued prosperity of your truly national work, I am, Sir,
yours most respectfully, JAS. H."

With earnest

D. M. J. (Newport): A good pair of 12 inch globes, to stand on a table, may be had for £3 or £1, at the following makers: Cary, Bardin, Newton, and Addison, London. We have not seen those he mentions.-PHILO (Burslem): The man who told you that man had been an actual observer for 4 millions of years was greatly mistaken; don't believe him.-JOSHUA: Thanks for his good letter; Drawing has begun; try the glass harmonicon. profane author.-A. K. J. (Belfast): 1. The solution is correct. 2. Cassell's Arithmetic is published, and may be had of the agent of the P. E. by order. 3. The binding of vol. I. in cloth is 1s, common edition; 18. 6d., fine edition. 4. The penmanship is very fair, but not for a first-rate clerk.-A STUDENT (Belfast) is too hasty; it was at the request of many who intended to use the Arithmetic that the answers were purposely omitted. This want will be supplied to all who wish it; see Literary Notices.-W. BOOTH: Under consideration-W. T.: The lessons he wants are in preparation.-ANGLOSAXON (Limerick): See page 104, vol. II., col. 1, line 2 from bottom. Goethe is pronounced geuté.-PI (West Ham, London): French first. Cassell's History of England is published at 3. 6d. complete, 3 vols. in one,

1. The son, daughter, and cousin, have left Paris. 2. My father, mother, and sister, have left me here. 3. Do you like to leave your country? 4. I do not like to leave my friends and country. 5. My parents do not like to leave me here; I am too young. 6. Why does not your brother let his son speak-XENOPHON: The jubilee is mentioned by Josephus, Ant. iii. 12, who is a [Sect. 96, 4] 7. Because he has nothing to say. 8. Have you let him alone? 9. I have let him alone. 10. Why do you not let me alone? 11. I will let them alone. 12. Has your friend left his bed? 13. He has not yet left his bed; he is yet very sick. 15. He has not left the 14. Has Captain G. left the army? army. 16. Has not that gentleman left the army for the bar? 17. He has left the army for the bar. 18. My friend has left the bar. 19. At what price will you let me have this silk? 20. I will 21. Can you not let me let you have it at two francs a yard. have it for less? 22. I let you have it cheap. 23. Will you let me have that book for twenty francs. 24. I will let you have it for twenty-two. 25. I could not let you have it for less. 26. With whom (à que) have you left my book? 27. I left it with your sister. 28. Why did you not leave it with my servant? 29. Because he had left your house. 30. Do you like to leave your friends? 31. I do not like to leave them. 32. Where have you left your book? 33. I left it at my father's. 34. Has that merchant given up commerce? 35. He has not given it up. 36. Those peaches do not part easily from the stone; they are clingstone peaches.

LITERARY NOTICES.

MRS. HARRIET BEECHER STOWE, AUTHORESS OF "UNCLE TOM'S CABIN,"

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ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. THE ALTAR OF THE HOUSEHOLD; or, DOMESTIC WORSHIP. Part I. MUSIC.-The following extracts from a letter written by an intelligent selfwill be published on the 1st of January, 1853, price 1s. This work will conteacher we insert in the hope that they will stimulate and encourage many :"Sir, I cannot refrain from bearing my feeble testimony to the excellence and tain a Series of Services for the Family, adapted for every morning and evensoundness of your method for imparting a thorough and substantial know-ing throughout the year, viz., portions of Scripture, Prayers and Thanksledge of music. I am, myself, but an humble amateur; yet, like the givings, suitably adapted to each other, to which will be added short pracimmortal Martin Luther, I would not for a great deal give up my portical comments to explain the subjects read, or enforce the duties enjoined. knowledge of music.' It is now some years since I entered upon the study This work will be edited by the Rev. Dr. Harris, Principal of New College, of the divine art, and I may mention, for the encouragement of the assisted by a band of eminent divines in London and the country. million pupils of the EDUCATOR, and as an incentive to their increased perseverance and application, that it was not long ere I was able to read music with facility at sight. I have since, also, studied HARMONY to advantage, and have farther attained some proficiency on the pianoforte- and all this I have accomplished without the aid of a single lesson from a teacher, aye, and from books much less explicit and distinct than the lessons in the EDUCATOR. I now consider myself very fortunate in having acquired my knowledge of music under the old Guidonian sol-fa system inculcated by Mr. Curwen, as I am convinced of the utter worthlessness of the French I had not long method, where the syllable DOH is never changed from c. begun to study music, when the latter system became highly popular under the auspices of the late Dr. Mainzer. I was at first all but led away by the rapid progress of his pupils to adopt the same system myself, but being satisfied with the advance I was then making, and refiecting that, if there was no royal road' to the knowledge of the other sciences, there could be none to music, I resisted the temptation, and applied myself with renewed assiduity to my studies under the old system. Events have proved that my determination was right, for while the Mainzerian system seems now to be falling into merited oblivion, I have acquired, under the old method, a more lasting and thorough knowledge than I could ever have attained under the former. I can hardly imagine that a man of such talent as Dr. Mainzer could possibly be himself deceived, or that he truly supposed the system which he taught capable of imparting an effectual knowledge of music. His pupils certainly reached some degree of proficiency in the scale of c, but beyond this they could not advance one iota, for the moment the key was changed they were completely at sea. In his programme (now before me) announcing the performance of Handel's oratorio, Judas Maccabeus,' by two hundred and fifty of his advanced pupils (which took place in Edin burgh in June, 1847), he treats the mere fact of the performance of such a work as evidence of the great musical knowledge of his pupils, and as leading to the inference that, after such performance, they were capable of reading any music however difficult, while, so far from such an inference

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a flat surface. Now each face of the cube has four corners, which are called the plane angles of a square; the ordinary definition of a plane angle being this: "When two lines drawn on a plane or flat surface in different directions meet in a point, they are said to make an angle at that point." For drawing purposes it is neces-bered also that when an angle is spoken of by three letters, the letter at sary to include in this definition curve lines, as well as straight lines; hence, the figures represented in fig. 14 are all considered as plane angles. A plane angle is simply such a one as you can correctly draw upon paper.