THE LYCAON. 263 



mention of a spotted wild dog reported to exist in 

 the southern mountains of Persia may refer to a 

 Lycaon. The Marafeen of Ethiopia is, we think, 

 the animal of Solinus before noticed, and the Taraffe 

 of Madagascar, the Impompo of Sofala, Mebbia of 

 Congo, and Maipu of some tribes of Caffraria. It 

 is also to a Lycaon, or a congener, that the ancient 

 name of panther is most applicable ; and the canine 

 tigers of Nearchus,* the wild progenitors of the 

 Indian race of spotted dogs, must refer to the Jungle 

 Koola, described among the Lycisci, or to a species 

 of the present form. 



The Marafeen, we are told by an attentive and 

 erudite observer t (taking it to be the hyaena of 

 Ethiopia), is figured in the sculptures of Egypt, 

 and may be the Chaus of Pliny, " Effigie lupi, 

 pardorum maculis." He describes the animal as 

 gregarious, not solitary, preying in preference upon 

 asses, but when pressed by hunger devouring stand- 

 ing com and dourra, and the female often whelping 

 in com fields. 



The Mebbia of Congo, in the travels of F. Zuchi, 

 is described as a wild species of dogs resembling 

 hounds, assembling in numbers of thirty or forty, 

 hunting and attacking all kinds of quadrupeds. J 



* See Arrian de reb. Ind. Oppian also says of his Thoes, 

 that they resembled wolves in form and panthers in colours. 



+ Wilkinson's Egypt. 



* We have reason to conclude that the Mebbia, here con- 

 founded with Lycaon, is, from information lately obtained, a 

 real Chryseus, and should have been classed with that group. 



