62 CLU ADRUPEDS. 



clean, and bedded with mofs. Its time of geftation and number of 

 young are fimilar to the fox ; brings forth in May or June. 



Its moft ftriking peculiarity remains to be mentioned, namely, its 

 change of colour, being at one time brown, at another white j the blue 

 never change colour, but fome are, when brought forth, of a yellow 

 hue, which, in the beginning of September,, gradually changes to white ; 

 its fur is then two inches long j in May this begins to fall, and about 

 the middle of July the ifatis again becomes brown. 



THE HY^NA 



IS nearly tke fize of a wolf, and has fome fimilitude to that animal in 

 ihape. The head at firft fight agrees, except that its ears are longer 

 and more bare of hair ; obferving clofely, we find the head broader, the 

 nofe flatter, and not fo pointed j nor are the eyes placed obliquely ; fore 

 legs longer than the hinder; the feet different from all other quadrupeds, 

 in having but four' toes, as well before as behind. Its coarfe hair is a 

 dirty greyifh, marked with black, difpofed in waves down its body. Its 

 tail is fhort, with pretty long hair ; immediately under it, above the 

 anus, is an opening into a kind of glandular pouch (which feparates a 

 fubftance of the confifl;ence, but not the odour, of civet), in which it is 

 refembled only by the badger. It holds its head fomewhat like a dog 

 purfuing the fcent, with the nofe near the ground, by which the back 

 appears elevated, which is augmented by a long briflly band of hair that 

 runs down it. 



Savage and untameable, ever in a ftate of rage or rapacity, ever 

 growling, except when receiving food j then its eyes gliften, the briftles 

 of its back fl:and upright, its head hangs low, and yet its teeth appear; 

 a moft frightful afped, heightened by a dreadful howl, which is very 

 peculiar : its beginning refembles the voice of a man moaning, its 

 conclufion a violent effort to vomit, or a kind of grofs guttural laugh- 

 ing haw ! haw ! It feems the moft untradlable of quadrupeds ; its cou- 

 rage equals its ferocity j it defends itfelf againft the lion, is a match for 

 the panther, attacks the ounce, and feldom fails to conquer. 



Is a folitary animal; native of the moft defolate and uncultivated parts 



of the torrid zone ; refides in caverns of mountains, clefts of rocks, in 



dens formed by itfelf. Though taken young, cannot ufually be tamed ; 



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