HMS Jackal remains difficult to classify

What type of vessel was the 1880s HMS Jackal?

She is identified as a fishery-protection vessel bought as HMS Woodcock in 1885 and later renamed Jackal; the tug-like classification remains tentative.

The search identifies the 1880s vessel as a fishery-protection craft purchased in 1885 under the name HMS Woodcock and later renamed Jackal. The available photograph and description are poor, and one description encountered during the search is in German. Her appearance suggests a tug-like working vessel, but no firm class identification is reached. The uncertainty is part of the answer and rules out a more precise classification.