264 THE LYCAON. 



Bosman, under the name of Jackals of Commany 

 and Aquambo, as tall or taller than sheep, having 

 spotted coats, a large and flat head, and very long 

 teeth and clavps, and w^itli powers to spring upon 

 high vv^alls, evidently alludes to the Lycaon ; and 

 the name itself, Mebbia, sounds as if it were an 

 imitation of a frequent tremulous and jabbering 

 voice, which we have heard the animal utter when 

 expressing impatient desire. 



The spotted vdld dogs of the Cape were indis- 

 tinctly noticed by Sparman, Viscount Querhouent, 

 Vaillant, and others ; but it was not until about the 

 year 1814 or 1815 that a skin was brought to Eng- 

 land from Western Africa, and we think first shown 

 in Riddel's Museum ; soon after, Mr. Howitt made 

 a drawing of a living specimen in the Exeter Change 

 collection of Mr. Cross. We know not if this died, 

 and the skin became the property of Mr. Bullock, 

 but Mr. Temminck, at the time of the sale of the 

 London Museum, purchased the specimen, which 

 he first described under the name of Hycena picta 

 in the Mem. de I' Ac. de Bruxelles. At that time 

 there was another living in the possession of Mr. 

 Burchel, which we saw often, and the late Joshua 

 Brooks had then, or soon after, the individual upon 

 which he established his genus Lycaon. Next, 

 M. de Lalande brought a skin from the Cape, and 

 about 1824, one or more were sent to the Frank- 

 fort Museum, by M. Ruppel, from Upper Egypt. 

 Having taken notes of the living, and drawings of 

 all the specimens here mentioned, it resulted from 



