HYAENAS. 140 



The habits of hyaenas accord with their outward ap- 

 pearance. They are nature's scavengers, and feed on 

 everything, being, with the jackal and Genet cat, the 

 especial robbers of the cemetery. Many are the stories 

 told of their cruel depredations, such as their stealing 

 into the kraals of the Caffres and Hottentots, and ab- 

 stracting the sleeping infant from under the kaross of 

 its mother, who only becomes conscious of her loss when 

 she hears the cries of the victim. Major Denham, in 

 his Travels, tells us of a village stormed by them at 

 night, when they carried off asses and other animals. 



My own impressions of the hyaena are, that he is a 

 timid, cowardly animal. I always found them shun my 

 approach ; and my uncle has told me that when he often 

 encountered them during his command of the outpost of 

 Tantum Querry, on the leeward coast of Africa, they 

 invariably turned from him, and slunk out of sight with 

 their dragging, shuffling gait. I cannot say that they 

 disturbed the stillness of the night, because a tropical 

 night never is still ; but their cry used suddenly to come 

 upon our ears, and, I know not why, always seemed to 

 be close to us. The roar of a leopard or lion is most 

 grand, however terrific ; but what is called the laugh of 

 the hyaena is just like the triumphant exultation of a 

 fierce madman when he reaches his long-sought victim. 



All the natives of the Gold Coast bear witness to the 

 powers of mimicry evinced by the hyaena. They say that 

 he hides himself in the jungle, and imitates the cries of 

 other beasts till he allures them to his side, when he 

 falls upon and devours them. A gentleman who long 

 commanded a fortress on the Gold Coast told me the 

 following story, which confirms the above assertion : 

 1 Some women from the neighbouring village were ac- 



