336 



EASTERN ETHIOPIA 



XXVII 



the walls and pave the floors of their huts with termite 

 earth. 



The only sure way of destroying an ant-hill is to dig 

 it up and find the queen or queens. If a queen be left 

 the insects rebuild the nest. 



A curious animal known as the Aard-Wolf lives 

 on decomposing carcases and termites. In shape and 

 colour it resembles the hyaena. During the day the 

 A.-trd-Wolf sleeps in the unused holes of the antbear, 

 and comes out at night. When excited or worried in a 



Skull of the Aard-Wolf, showing the degenerate condi- 

 tion of the teeth ; the animal lives on termites. 

 ( M useum of the Royal College of Surgeons. ) 



burrow it emits, like the skunk, an extremely foetid 

 fluid from the anal glands. The crest or mane of 

 hair along the middle of its back is erected when the 

 animal becomes excited. The feeble condition of the 

 Aard- Wolfs molar teeth correspond to its mode of 

 living, but the strong claws enable it to dig termites 

 out of their nests. 



References. 



Drummond, H. ... Tropical Africa. London, 1888. 



Hayes, A. J The Source of the Blue Nile. London, 1905. 



Smeathman, H. ... u Of the Termites in Africa and other Hot 



Countries," Phil. Trans., 1785, LXXI., 



p. 139. 



