DESULTORY SKETCHES IN NATURAL HISTORY. 73 



Standing it to be rather numerous," writes Mr. Steedman, " in the 

 neighbourhood of the Vanstaden River" (near Algoa Bay), " and 

 being desirous of obtaining a specimen, I accompanied a farmer in 

 search of the burrows. We soon discovered the spoor or track of 

 these animals quite fresh ; and following it for some distance over 

 sandy hillocks thickly covered with bushes, we at length found their 

 retreat, which, to all appearance, they had recently quitted. It 

 was a subterraneous cave, with several holes, each leading to one 

 principal cell. It seemed that these holes were intended to facili- 

 tate escape in case of attack, the animal being extremely timid. In 

 proof of this, I may mention the circumstance of the farmer who ac- 

 companied me having, upon one occasion, ventured to take away 

 the young, without any apprehension of being interrupted by the 

 old ones, which had fled at his approach. After a day spent in 

 fruitless search, we were unable to get even a sight of this curious 

 animal. The farmer informed me that, on moonlight nights, he 

 had frequently seen as many as ten or fifteen of them together, 

 prowling among the hills in pursuit of prey, and raising a most 

 frightful howl."* Levaillant mentions occasionally distinguishing 

 the howl of some quadruped, besides that of the Hyaena and that of 

 the Cape Jackal, about his encampments at night, which his Hot- 

 tentots informed him was the Aard-Wolf: whatever it might be, 

 he adds, it fed along with the Jackals and Hyaenas.t 



The Protle is stated to prey on very young Lambs, and to attack 

 the massive fatty protuberance on the tails of the African Sheep. J 

 No doubt it also feeds on very putrid carrion, so far decomposed as 

 to require no further division than can be effected by tugging at it 

 with the canines ; a supposition which, indeed, is favoured by the 

 circumstance of the lower canines being a little curved. Its dental 

 system must, of course, incapacitate it for severing flesh, except that 

 of exceedingly tender young animals. 



Having now disposed of all the known existing species of Hy^ 

 ceninae, and described them somewhat in detail, we trust that we 

 have also disposed of the statement that the teeth constitute the 

 essential character of Mammalia, upon which the group might even 

 be exclusively constructed ; inasmuch as it appears that the dental 

 system is subject to adaptive modifications which might occur alike 



* Wanderings in South Africa, vol. i., p. 308. 



t Narrative of second expedition, English translation, ii., 323. 



+ Is. Geof. St. Hilaire. 



VOL. X., NO. XXVIII. 10 



