HY^ 



140 



at UM Au>ncaa bsar*. [BtULj CokMMl Sykes (< Proc. Zool 800.,' 

 1MM1) iMBMfa, that this *peoMa, Turn- of the Mahratta*, i. 

 *B*rous 10 1 Kiihun (I feccan), and susceptible of the MOM domesti- 

 cation * a dog. Other travellers speak of the Hyena bring susceptible 

 of <lumt*imt\rm and performing UM duty of watch-dog* 



The Striped UTWM to found in Asia, *ud Northeni and Central 

 Africa. th. moun'ums of Caucasus, and the AlUio Chain, Aniatic 

 Turk./. Syria. Penia, Barbary. and Senegal, and even as low as the 

 Cap*. Tkere arc living specimen* in the Uardeu* of the Zoological 



i ; ., t i. 1 .... !... 



//. marml*t* iHumboldt). the Spotted Hyena. Thii specie* u the 

 Tinr-Wulf of the colonist* at the Cape ; Oanii crvetila of Krxieben 

 and OKp ; Hym* tnatla of Zimmerman ; Hy<rna Cafauii at 

 Deenan** ; CVenta o<Waa of Gray. Oeroer baa a figure of this 

 |iii <t i oVrowiDg a dog ; and the Spotted Zilio Hyena of Jonston 

 appeal* to owe it* origin to the aame animal 



Cuvier remark" that this and the preceding Hyena are entirely 

 distinct specifically, notwithstanding their generic resemblance, both 

 externally and in the skeleton. The Spotted Hytcna hat, he observes, 

 no man* on UM back, and iiwtnad of stripe* has only round or black 

 pot* more or less Mattered. He states that the last lower molar in the 

 fsjiiillnl Hyena i* limply com pressed and bilobated with a heel or 

 preen* behind, whilst the Striped Hyena has in addition a particular 

 tubercle on the internal surface of its posterior lobe ; there are also 

 other oeteological difierenres, which the reader will find pointed' out 

 in the * flesiminis Fossil**.' 



Size rather lr*s than that of the Striped Hyena. Muzzle short, 

 bat not so abruptly truncated. Ears short and broad, nearly quadri- 

 lateral Colour yellowish-brown, the whole body covered with 

 numerous spots of a deeper brown, tolerably uniform in size, but 

 onmlmss not very distinctly marked, and occasionally arranged in 

 longitudinal row*. Hair shorter than in the Striped Hyena; and 

 though longer on the neck and in the central line of the back than 

 sis* wins, it doe* not form so distinct and well-furnished a mane as 

 that of the Striped Hyena. Tail blackish-brown, covered with long 

 bunny hair. (Bennett) 



It is found in the south of Africa, and especially the neighbourhood 

 of UM Cap* of Good Hope. Leason and others say that it is found 

 even** high as Barbary, but this is doubtful Ludolph, in his ' Ethiopia,' 

 or rather the translator (I 10), *y., "The hyaena, or the Vncuta, 

 near akin to the wolfe, U the most voracioun of their wild beasts; for 

 she not only by night and by stealth, but openly and in the daytime, 

 pray* upon all .he meet* with, men or cattle ; and rather than fail, 

 digs down the wall, of houses and stables. Gregory described her 

 to be speckled with black and white spot*." To this is appended the 

 following note >-" Begot between a Hyena and a Lioness : familiar 

 to Ethiopia. See ' Solinus, 1 L 85, and Saluiatiua upon him." There 

 is a living specimen in the Garden* of the Zoological Society, *t the 

 iUgeof. Park. It cam* from South Africa. 



Numerous are the writers who have treated of the habit* of this 

 destructive animal Le Vaillaut, Span-man, and other travellers give 

 very interesting account* of its manner* ; but we select the statement 

 mad* in the first catalogue of the African Museum (where it is 

 1 II. SMU-Wo/a), which was dispersed ill 1888, because we 

 that UM *tateiD*nt carries internal evidence of its having pro- 

 from the pen of the eminent and accurate zoologist under 

 whose lealous superintendence that collection wa* made. The cata- 

 log**, UMn, states that then an two specie, of Hyena in South 

 Africa, and that UM Spotted Hyena, or Tiger- Wolf of the colonist*, 



^jr*"** "* *** lnor> WKU| y d >ff"i tJn the other species, 

 wfcMk DM UM name of the Strand, or Coast- Wolf, and is also more 

 ******"** and o*tructi*, not only devouring such animals a* il 

 to Bad dead, bat also earning off the smaller ones from the 



pew of UM farmers during the night, and often succeeding in killing 

 or Mutilating snob of UM larger kinds as have not been secured before 

 *"k.*ekjy annnaia, it appear*, an Us* liable to suffer from the 

 *n*tty of this creature than those that are in full health ; the 

 latter, by Umr rapid flight, inspiring their enemy with a courage of 

 wbH* by ..tar. be > dentate; when- the sicklr face bimTand 



be successful if made. 



. 

 i* be for the flight of the animal*, a* a preliminary to hi* 



attack, that he use* all the grimace and threatening he can command 

 to induce them to run, and never dares to attack them unlecs they 

 do so. " The character of thi* hyena," continues the author, " make* 

 lia destruction an object of no small importance to the fanners, 

 whose ingenious snares for him call forth amazing cunning and 

 dexterity on the part of the animal to render them of no avail The 

 more common methods employed against beaut* of prey, such a* 

 spring-guns, traps, 4c. do not succeed in his case. During his 

 nocturnal wanderings he minutely examines every object that present* 

 itself to hi* notice with which he is not perfectly familiar; and if he 

 see reason to suspect that it can injure him, he will turn back and 

 make his way in an opposite direction. Thus cords or leather thongs, 

 which are often laid across the footpaths the hyena is accustomed to 

 travel upon, and which are attached to the trigger* of loaded guns, 

 with the design that his contact with the thong may cause the 

 discharge of the gun in his direction, are very carefully examined by 

 liim, and the usual result of his examination is his deciding against 

 trusting himself iu contact with them. The fanners have so often 

 observed this result, that they now very rarely attempt his destruction 

 by this means, but occasionally succeed by substituting for cords the 

 delicate stems of creeping plants, which are regarded by him without 

 suspicion until he has actually Buffered through them. Many other 

 ingenious methods, suggested by the necessity of the case, hare bean 

 adopted by the farmers for the destruction of hyenas; but a 

 description of them, though elsewhere desirable, would here be out 

 of place. This species seldom, if ever, moves abroad during the 

 day, but passes that period in a state of repose, either in holes in the 

 ground, or in retired situations densely covered with bush. Night is 

 his favourite season for seeking his food ; and towards nightfall his 

 bowlings are regularly heard, announcing to the various animals the 

 approach of their voracious enemy, and thus enabling many of them 

 to escape his wiles. The propensity this beast ha* for howling seem* 

 therefore to be disadvantageous to him ; and if bis almost continuous 

 uoiqe be not intended to put the animals upon which he preys upou 

 their guard, it* actual purpose is scarcely conceivable. Some have 

 surmised it to be his call to creatures of his own species; but that 

 this is not the case is certain from the fact that hyaenas are heard to 

 utter their supposed call even while separating from each other 

 farther and farther as each cry is uttered ; in addition to which it 

 may be remarked that it is contrary to the habit of this animal to 

 hunt in company, or even to congregate in large numbers, save wheu 

 assembled by the temptation of an abundance of carrion. A still 

 further proof that the hyena's cry U not a friendly call to his own 

 species, may be found in the fact that wli.-n iinliviiln.il i,\.> n.n have 

 found a dead animal they cease to utter tlieir melancholy howl, as if 

 in fear of calling participators of their feast." 



It appears from the above interesting account that the Spotted 

 Hyxua puts in practice " all the grimace ami threatening he can 

 command " to induce the objects of his attack to run : in other 

 words, his plan of attack is founded upou intimidation. May not his 

 howls be intended to inspire terror and shake the nerved of the animl 

 within hearing of the doleful nocturnal sonmU ! 



" Till lately," adds the author in conclusion, " hyenas were in the 

 habit of paying nightly visits to the streets of Cape Town, and were 

 regarded as very useful in carrying away the animal refuse, which 

 might otherwise have been disagreeable. This however no longer 

 occurs, partly perhaps from better regulations now existing iu the 

 town, and partly from the number of these animals having very 

 greatly decreased. Even now however individual hyenas occasionally 

 approach the town, and their bowlings are sometime* heard under 

 Table Mountain, and in other directions, during the nights. In the 

 countries inhabited by the Kaffirs they are very numerous and 

 daring, generally approaching the villages during the night, and 

 attempting, either by strength or stratagem, to pass the wattles by 

 which the house* are defended. If they be thus far successful, they 

 next endeavour to enter the houses, which they sometimes accomplish, 

 in which case they not (infrequently carry off some young child of 

 the family. Scars and marks on various parts of the body often testily 

 to the traveller how dangerous a foe the natives have in this animal." 



Mr. Steedman, in his ' Wanderings and Adventure* in the Interior 

 of Southern' Africa,' gives most appalling accounts of the rapacity of 

 the Spotted Hyena. He states that Mr. bhepstone, in a letter from 

 Mamboland, relate* that the nightly attacks of wolves, as the Hyena* 

 are generally called, have been very destructive amongst the children 

 and youth ; for within a few mouth* not fewer than 40 instance* 

 came to hi* knowledge wherein that beast had made a most dreadful 

 havoc. " To show clearly," says that gentleman, " the preference of 

 the wolf (spotted hyena) for human flesh, it will be necessary to 

 notice that when the Mambookies build their houses, which are in 

 form like beehives, and tolerably large, often 18 or 20 feet in diameter, 

 the floor U raised at the higher or back part of the house, until 

 within 3 or 4 feet of the front, where it suddenly terminates, leaving 

 an area from thence to the wall, in which every night the calves are 

 tied to protect them from the storms or from wild beasts. Now it 

 would be natural to suppose, that should the wolf enter, he would 

 seize the first object for his prey, especially as the natives always lie 

 with the fire at their feet ; but notwithstanding this, the constant 

 practice of this animal has been in every instance to pass by the 



