This same author tells us that the sultry breath of the desert is felt far beyond its bounds. It blows over Italy, and crosses even the Alps. Here it rapidly melts the snow of the higher valleys, causing dangerous inundations.
It is no uncommon thing for the dust of the desert to be whirled high into the air and fall upon the decks of vessels crossing the Atlantic far from the coast of Africa. Frequently it flies in clouds over the Red Sea; thus does Nubia greet Arabia.
Considering the scanty vegetation to be found in the Sahara, the scarcity of animal life is not to be wondered at.
The lion, which has been called the king of the desert, contents himself with the borders of his domain. He rarely leaves the wooded mountains of the Atlas region or the fertile plains of the Soudan to wander far into the Great Desert, where there is little water, and only snakes and scorpions are to be found for food in the dry season.
True, among the animals in those sections of the Sahara that are covered with prickly shrubs, may be found the hare and the rabbit, the hedgehog and the porcupine; but the hyena and the jackal, that also haunt these spots, claim these as their booty.
Several varieties of lizards are to be found in the desert. Among them is a large gray monitor and a small white skink. The latter has very short legs. Its movements are so rapid that it seems to swim on the surface, as a fish would in water. Just as its pursuer thinks he has captured it, it disappears, diving under the surface.
It can readily be traced in its retreat and easily taken from the sand. When provisions are scarce, the pursuit of the skink is not considered too much trouble, although its body is so insignificant for food.
There is a proverbial saying that the ostrich needs to drink water only every five days, and could exist much longer without it, if necessary. However this may be, it is certain that this enormous bird penetrates far into the interior of the desert.
The animal life of the Sahara fluctuates from north to south, according to the seasons.
In winter and spring the nomadic tribes wander, with their herds of camels, horses, sheep, and goats, farther into the interior. This is owing to the more favorable conditions; for the heavy rains, falling upon the northern borders of the desert, cover large districts, scorched by the heat of the previous summer, with abundant pasturage and furnish them with a goodly supply of water. As the season advances and the sun gains power, these tribes, with their flocks, retreat again to the borders.