BROWN HYAENA 51 



varies from two to four, the former being the more usual ; 

 it is a timid, retiring animal ; we had one half-grown 

 specimen, which was very tame and would come for his 

 food when called. It is a difficult animal to rear and 

 keep in captivity. 



Genus HYAENA. 



Four toes on each foot, supplied with non-retractile 

 claws. Tail short. Teeth 34, which are powerful and 

 well adapted for crushing bones. There are two species 

 in South Africa. They are nocturnal animals, remaining 

 concealed during the day in holes, caves, or lairs in thick 

 bush, and issuing forth at night in search of dead animals, 

 which are their favourite food, although they will kill and 

 devour sheep, calves, donkeys, &c. 



They are cowardly animals, as well as greedy, and 

 have excellent powers of scent and hearing. The dismal 

 howl of the Hyaena is proverbial, the spotted species 

 also emitting a maniac-like laugh, whence the name 

 "Laughing Hyaena." 



Hyaena brunnea. Brown Hyaena. Strand Jut. 



This is the Strand Jut or Strand Wolf of the colonial ; 

 it is of an ash-brown colour, the hair on the hinder 

 portion of the back being long. Throat, chin and cheeks 

 very dark nearly black. Legs banded with dark brown. 

 Length of head and body about 4 feet, tail 1 foot. 



This species is more or less confined to the south- 

 western portion of South Africa, ranging as far north 

 as the Zambesi. It is still not uncommon in the Pretoria 

 and Rustenburg districts. We saw a fine old male 

 caught in a gin-trap on June 7, 1914, on the farm 

 Buffelsdraai, about 50 miles north of Pretoria. 



