92 ANIMAL LIFE IN AFRICA 



their numbers, and it was not before about twenty had 

 been trapped and shot that the nuisance began to abate. 



There is no doubt that when a man has to sleep out 

 in the open, the Spotted Hyaena must be reckoned a very 

 dangerous beast. Mr. R. T. Coryndon told me that once, 

 many years ago, he and a friend found themselves obliged 

 to spend the night fireless and tentless in an old mealie 

 field. Mr. Coryndon was sleeping on his back, his hand 

 behind his head, when he was suddenly seized by the 

 wrist and dragged right out of his blankets. He shouted 

 at the top of his voice, and the animal let go, when he 

 found that his wrist was rather badly bitten. Having, 

 with the assistance of his friend, dressed and tied it up, 

 he once more lay down, this time taking the precaution to 

 have his loaded rifle in readiness. At the end of half an 

 hour he saw something suddenly loom up against the 

 sky-line just in front of his feet, and immediately firing, 

 killed a large hyaena, which was doubtless on the point 

 of resuming the attack. 



There are many instances on record of sleeping natives 

 having had pieces torn from their faces and other parts 

 of their bodies, whilst sleeping round the fires at night, 

 and I have seen men in widely separated parts of Africa 

 who have suffered dreadful injuries in this manner. 



When sitting up at night over " kills," there often 

 occur many interesting opportunities of observing the 

 methods of Spotted Hyaenas. Soon after dark a long- 

 drawn howl will be heard coming from somewhere far 

 away in the forest. It is answered from another point, 

 and presently the chorus is taken up from all directions, 

 As the night draws on the cries approach closer, until at 

 last one issues from the bush close at hand. Then 

 follows for a time silence, but the lonely watcher can detect 

 faint rustlings and undefined sounds in the dark covert 



