492 THE CARNIVORES 



are undoubtedly in the constant habit of banqueting on carcasses of animals killed by 

 those cats. Canon Tristram relates, however, that in Palestine a donkey belonging 

 to one of his servants was killed by a hyaena while the owner was sleeping alongside. 

 The striped hyaena probably on account of its "body snatching" propensi- 

 tiesis cordially detested by the natives of all the countries it inhabits. When a 

 hyaena is killed, the body is treated in many parts of India with every mark of 

 indignity, and finally burned. On one occasion in the Punjab the present writer 

 came across a party of natives cruelly ill treating a nearly full-grown hyaena, which 

 had been rendered helpless by its jaws being muzzled and its feet broken. Needless 

 to say the sufferings of the poor brute were soon terminated by a bullet. Although, 

 owing to their nocturnal habits, hyaenas are seldom seen, yet in some parts of India, 

 from the multitude of their tracks, they must be very common. These tracks, as 

 Mr. Blanford observes, are like those of a dog, from which they may, however be 

 distinguished by the small size of the prints of the hind as compared with those of 

 the fore-feet. 



THE BROWN HY^NA (Hytzna brunned} 



The brown hyaena is far less well known than either of the other living species. 

 Although in most respects more nearly allied to the striped hyaena, it exhibits 

 some points of affinity with the spotted species. It is characterized by the long 

 mantle of coarse hair, depending from the neck and back, and reaching below the 

 belly, as is well shown in our illustration on p. 491. The ears are long and pointed, 

 and the tail is short and bushy. The general color of the long hair is uniform 

 dark brown, with lighter brown or whitish patches on the legs ; while the head is 

 dark grayish brown, and the forehead black, sprinkled with whitish or reddish brown. 

 The long hair of the back is whitish gray at the root, and blackish brown above. 

 The legs are striped. In size this species is about the same as the striped hyaena. 



The brown hyaena is a South African species, ranging on the East Coast as far 

 as Kilima-njaro, while on the west side it may extend as far north as Mossamedes. 

 It does not ever appear to be found at any great distance from the coast. It is 

 doubtless this species, referred to by Mr. H. H. Johnston as the striped hyaena, 

 which is common on the flanks of the Kilima-njaro, up which it ascends to a consid- 

 erable elevation ; the spotted hyaena being confined to the plains. In its preference 

 for rocky spots in that district it, therefore, resembles the striped hyaena. 



THE SPOTTED HY^NA (Hycena crocuta) 



The African spotted hyaena is by far the largest and most powerful of the three 

 living species, differing from the others not only in several structural features, but 

 also by its habit of associating in packs, and of giving utterance more frequently to 

 its unearthly cry. 



Externally the spotted hyaena is distinguished by its rounded and moderate- 

 sized ears, by the absence of a crest of long hairs along the neck and back, and the 



