266 AFRICAN GAME ANIMALS 



down the nape. The ears are extremely broad and con- 

 spicuous, resembUng in their great size some of the foxes, 

 and are black on the back with yellow inner sides. The 

 tail is of medium length and rather scantily haired, the 

 terminal tuft of white hair being much smaller than the 

 brush of a wolf. At the present time the hunting dog is 

 confined to Ethiopian Africa, where it ranges from the Cape 

 north throughout the eastern part of the continent to the 

 limits of the Abyssinian highlands and Lake Chad. For- 

 merly it ranged beyond the limits of Africa through Europe 

 to the British Isles, where fossil evidence of it has been ob- 

 tained in the Pleistocene beds of Wales. A single living 

 species, pictuSy is recognized by naturalists, of which several 

 geographical races have been named on differences detected 

 in the proportions of the three colors in the coat, by rela- 

 tive differences in body size, and thickness of pelage. The 

 characters given for the various races, however, are based 

 on the examination of so few specimens that they can in 

 no case be said to be established, but the study of more 

 material in the future will without doubt lead to the dis- 

 covery of definite characters for many of the races now 

 named. Names have been applied to British East African, 

 Somaliland, and Lake Chad races, but it seems best at the 

 present time to recognize only the East African race, which 

 alone has recognizable characters over pictus of South 

 Africa. 



This pied creature is found throughout East Africa, 

 although it is rare in most places. Hunting hounds usu- 

 ally go in big packs. They master all the smaller and the 

 young of all the larger antelopes, and there is reason to 

 believe that at times, although rarely, they kill even the 

 biggest antelope, and half-grown buffalo also. Yet we 

 saw zebras feeding near them without heeding them, and 

 also rushing at them and driving them off when they came 

 too close. They are extremely destructive to game, and at 

 times to goats and sheep; and they will menace man, al- 



