DOG KIND. 63 



ed for itself under the earth. Though taken 

 never so young, it cannot be tamed ; it lives by 

 depredation, like the wolf, but is much stronger, 

 and more courageous. It sometimes attacks man, 

 carries off cattle, follows the flock, breaks open 

 the sheep-cots by night, and ravages with insati- 

 able voracity. Its eyes shine by night ; and it is 

 asserted, not without great appearance of truth, 

 that it sees better by night than by day. When 

 destitute of other provision, it scrapes up the 

 graves and devours the dead bodies, how putrid 

 soever. To these dispositions, which are suf- 

 ficiently noxious and formidable, the ancients 

 have added numberless others, which are long 

 since known to be fables ; as, for instance, that 

 the hyaena was male and female alternately ; that 

 having brought forth and suckled its young, it 

 then changed sexes for 'a year, and became a 

 male. This, as was mentioned above, could only 

 proceed from the opening under the tail, which 

 all animals of this species are found to have j 

 / and which is found in the same manner in no 

 other quadruped, except the badger. There is 

 in the weazel kind, indeed, an opening, but it is 

 lower down, and not placed above the anus, as 

 in the badger and the hyaena. Some have said 

 that this animal changes the 'colour of its hair at 

 will ; others, that a stone was found in its eye, 

 which, put under a man's tongue, gave him the 

 gift of prophecy; some have said, that it has no 

 joints in the neck, which, however, all quadrupeds 

 are known to have ; and some, that the shadow 

 of the hyaena keeps dogs from barking. These, 



