404 THE TROPICAL WORLD. 



Although his jaws are strong, he has not the sharp retractile 

 claws of the felidse, nor their formidable spring, his hind legs 

 l)eing comparatively feeble, and thus he can hardly become 

 dangerous to the herds, though Bruce assures us that the 

 hyaenas destroyed many of his mules and asses. 



In Barbary, the Arabs pursue the hyaenas on horseback, 

 and run them down with their greyhounds, never thinking of 

 wasting their powder on so abject a game. They are held in 

 such contempt that huntsmen will fearlessly penetrate into the 

 caverns where they are known to sojourn, first carefully stopping 

 the opening with their burnous, to keep out the light of day. 

 They then advance towards the snarling brute, address it in 

 menacing language, seize and gag it, without its venturing 

 upon the least resistance, and cudgel the animal out of the den. 

 The rough and ugly hide of the hyaena is but of little value, and 

 in many tents its sight is not even tolerated, as if so unworthy 

 a spoil could only bring misfortune to its owner. 



The intractability of the hyaena is as fabulous as his courage 

 or his cruelty. On the contrary, he is very easily tamed, and 

 may be rendered as docile as the dog himself. 



The striped hyaena is a native of Asiatic Turkey, Syria, and 

 North Africa as far as the Senegal, while the spotted . hyaena 

 ranges over South Africa, from the Cape to Abyssinid. Both 

 species attain the size of the wolf, and have similar habits. As 

 the shark follows the ship, or the crow the caravan, they are 

 said to hover about the march of armies, as if taught by instinct 

 that they have to expect the richest feast from the insanity of 

 man. 



The moonlight falling on the dark cypresses and snow-white 

 tombs of the Oriental churchyards not seldom shines upon 

 hungry hyaenas busily employed in tearing the newly-buried 

 corpses from their graves. 



A remarkable peculiarity of the spotted hyaena is that when 

 he first begins to run he appears lame, so that one might almost 

 fancy one of his legs was broken ; but after a time this halting 

 disappears, and he proceeds on his course very swiftly. 



' One night, in Maitsha,' says Bruce, ' being very intent on 

 observation, I heard something pass behind me towards the 

 bed, but upon looking round could perceive nothing. Having 

 finished what I was then about, I went out of my tent, intending 



