88 ANIMAL LIFE IN AFRICA 



Sabi River in October was dirty white in colour, while the 

 spots over the whole fore-part of the body were so faint 

 as to be barely distinguishable. On the other hand, in 

 November, two females, apparently mother and daughter, 

 obtained some thirty miles north of the above-mentioned 

 place, possessed skins of reddish grey hue with nearly 

 black spots, the hair on the bodies being rather long. 

 Between these two extremes I have noticed every sort 

 of variation, equally in shade, length of hair, and distinct- 

 ness of spots. No doubt with age the coat tends to 

 wear away, as immature animals or those in their early 

 prime often carry, in the eastern Transvaal, quite hand- 

 some coats, while old males generally look very shabby 

 in this respect. 



The Spotted Hyaena, where not exterminated by the 

 advance of civilization, exists throughout most of the 

 African continent, and is found even in districts thickly 

 inhabited by natives, where it lives on the offal and 

 refuse of the villages. Formerly these animals used 

 to swarm round the town of Tete on the Zambezi, and after 

 dark would enter the narrow streets of the native quarter 

 in large numbers, admirably fulfilling the duties of 

 public scavengers, duties which otherwise would have 

 been sadly neglected. 



Spotted Hyaenas are nocturnal in habit, but may be seen 

 on the move upon cool and cloudy days, and often for 

 some time after sunrise in bright weather ; indeed, 

 I have heard them calling quite an hour after that time. 

 They leave their lairs at dusk, and during the night 

 travel by preference along the game tracks and native 

 paths, sometimes patrolling backwards and forwards 

 along one stretch for hours. In the day-time they 

 lie up in thick bush or in long grass, occasionally, es- 

 pecially in mountainous country, sheltering themselves 



