THE HYAENA FAMILY 



like, while the claws, four on each foot, not being retractile, 

 resemble those of the dog. They form a small but impor- 

 tant group, which, like the rest of the animal kingdom, can 

 only exist where their work lies. Their special office is to 

 remove from the earth the carcasses and bones of the larger 

 animals after death. For example, if a camel should die, 

 the vultures, jackals, and other creatures begin to consume 

 the soft parts almost before the breath is out of it. But the 

 bones are beyond their power, and in order to remove them 

 we have the Hyaenas, whose jaws and teeth are formed for 

 the express purpose of crushing the bones, which no other 

 animal can break. The thigh-bone of a buffalo will be 

 smashed almost with the 

 sound of the report of a 

 pistol-shot. It must not, 

 however, be supposed that 

 the Hyaena scavenger is 

 restricted to bones ; quite 

 as often as not it is on the 

 scene early to do its share 

 of the picking. 



It is quite evident that the 

 Hyaena must possess parti- 

 cularly strong teeth, with 

 massive jaws and powerful 

 muscles to work them ; the 

 enormous bony ridges on 

 the top of the skull mark the tremendous power in the 

 jaw, since they indicate the size of the muscles which are 

 attached to them. The teeth, of which there are four more 

 than in the cats, are large and strong ; the canines are 

 smaller and the outermost incisors are much longer than 

 in the Felidae, and some of the molar teeth have three 

 cutting edges. The tongue is set with prickly, spike-like 

 Papilla, which form a powerful rasp. 



The Hyaena is notable for the great development of the 

 front part of the body and the very small size of the hind- 

 quarters, which fall away rapidly and give the animal a 

 peculiarly slinking gait. This peculiar formation is visible 

 even in the skeleton. Its character does not belie its 



SKULL OF THE HY^NA. 

 (About one-fifth natural size.) 



