With Flashlio-ht and Rifle ^ 



more uniform. They are often mangy. During the 

 famine-year, when hyaenas feasted upon human corpses, 

 I killed some very fat specimens. 



Like the European fox. the hycena — the " fissi " of the 

 Waswahili, " twiti "' of the Wanyamivesi, " ol egodjine" of 

 the Masai, an " arvijet " of the Wandorobo — adapts itself to 

 different localities and different conditions. Sometimes 

 they are very shy, sometimes extraordinarily impudent. 

 In some regions thev are satisfied with carrion, in 

 Others they seem to crave for cattle and human fiesh. 

 They seized a number ot my donkeys. One has most 

 to fear from their attacks on dark, rainy nights. 



The reader may be surprised to hear that until 1899 

 one of the most disputed questions with regard to the 

 fauna of British and German East Africa was whether 

 there was such a thing in existence as a striped hytcna. 

 Professor Matschie long held the opinion, for want of 

 proof to the contrary, that either the aard-wolf {Proteles 

 cristatus) was the only species to be found in these 

 countries, or that if there was a striped species of hysena 

 to be met with it must be one new to zoology.^ 



There had been other conjectures as to the existence 

 of the striped species, but proof was not forthcoming to 

 such distinguished observers as Richard Bohm, Hunter, 

 and others. Captain Waldemar Werter believed he had 

 found a striped hyaena, but there was a doubt as to 

 whether he had confused what he saw with the aard- 

 wolf Personally, I believe he did actually see a striped 

 hyaena. 



^ Paul Matschie, TJw Mammals of Ger/iian East Africa. 



446 



