THE SPOTTED HYENA. 



177 



The spots, or rather the blotches, with which its fur is marked, are rather scanty upon the 

 back and sides, but upon the legs are much more clearly marked, and are set closer together. 

 The paws are nearly black. In the collection of the British Museum is a very young speci- 

 men, which, curiously enough, is devoid of the spots that mark its adult fur, thereby present- 

 ing a remarkable contrast to the animals which we have already mentioned. For example, the 

 lion, which in mature age is of a uniform tawny hue, is covered when young with spots and 

 stripes, which seem to partake equally of the tigrine and pardine character. The young puma, 

 again, exhibits strongly marked spots of a deeper hue upon its pale tawny fur, and retains 

 them for a considerable time. Indeed, even in the fur of an adult puma may be discerned the 



BKOrt'N HYENA.-^yio brunnea,. 



remnants of these maculations when the animal is placed in certain lights. The Striped Hyena, 

 again, exhibits more decisive markings while young than after it has attained its full growth, 

 and there are many other similar instances. These examples would seem to justify the idea, 

 that the young of these and similar animals were deeper in their coloring than their parents. 

 Yet, in direct opposition to this seeming rule, we find the young of the Spotted Hyena to 

 possess a simple, ruddy, brown fur, similar in color to that of the Brown Hyena. It is worthy 

 of notice, that whatever dark spots, stripes, or blotches exist upon an animal, whether in its 

 young or its adult state, they may always be found either upon the back, following the line of 

 the vertebra, or upon the legs. And even in those numerous cases where, as in the leopard, 

 tiger, ocelot, and other striped and spotted animals, the dark markings are persistent through 

 the entire life of the creature, these dark spots and stripes are always found to be more power- 

 fully developed upon the spine and on the legs. I would here offer a suggestion : that we 

 may find a key to this curious enigma in the fact, that the darker fur seems, in these animals. 



