182 



THE BEASTS OF PREY. 



in killing seventy-eight of these valuable animals 

 within an hour. 



If the hunting ©f these animals is not restricted 

 by law, the Sea Otter will be exterminated in the 



near future, and, like Steller's Northern Sea Cow, 

 be among the number of the species we have seen 

 disappear from the earth, so to speak, before our 

 eyes. 



Zhc Ib^aena jfamil^. 



FOURTH FAMILY: Hy£nid«. 



Among the animals exhibited in traveling shows 

 there is one which usually attracts the special atten- 

 tion of the spectators owing to the extravagant ex- 

 planations of the keeper, who never fails to depict 

 it as a genuine monster and ascribe to it the most 

 dangerous traits. Bloodthirstiness, cruelty and a de- 

 ceitful, wicked disposition are usually the mildest of 

 the qualities he ascribes to this animal. In addition 

 he accuses it of exhuming the dead bodies of human 

 beings and eating them, in order to further excite the 

 excusable indignation of those spectators who are 

 not well versed in zoology. Science has not been 

 able so far to dispel these unfounded notions, which 

 keep their hold on people's minds despite all teach- 

 ings to the contrary. 



Many Fables There are few animals whose history 

 Told About has been adorned with so - many fan- 



the Hyasnas. tastic and horrible tales as that of the 

 Hyaenas. The ancients told the most incredible 

 stories about them. Dogs were said to lose their 

 voice and senses if the shadow of a Hyaena fell on 

 them. The hideous animals were alleged to imitate 

 the human voice, in order to decoy people toward 

 thier retreat and then devour them. The most 

 remarkable feature of these tales is that they found 

 credence with all the nations which came in contact 

 with the Hyaena. The Arabs especially are rich in 

 stories concerning it. They firmly believe that peo- 

 ple who partake of the brain of a Hyaena become 

 insane, and the head of a slain Hyaena is always 

 buried, lest it should be used by wicked sorcerers for 

 their diabolical charms. They are even firmly per- 

 suaded that Hyaenas themselves are nothing bitt 

 sorcerers in disguise, which assume human shape by 

 day and prowl around as Hyaenas during the night, 

 working destruction upon good people. I have been 

 repeatedly and earnestly warned by my servants not 

 to shoot the Hyaenas, and fearful stories were told 

 me about these despised creatures and their supposed 

 supernatural powers. 



Hyaenas Have Tradition always selects its heroes. 

 Many An animal which is the subject of 



Peculiar Traits. m any marvelous tales must have 

 something peculiar in its appearance. This is con- 

 firmed in the Hyaenas, which resemble Dogs, yet 

 differ from them in every point. Their appearance 

 is far from pleasing ; in fact, is decidedly repulsive. 

 All 1 Iyaenas are ugly. Some naturalists have seen in 

 them a connecting link between Dog and Cat, but we 

 cannot agree with this opinion, for the Hyaenas have 

 a distinctly peculiar shape of their own. The body 

 is stout, the neck and head are thick; the snout is 

 strong and unattractive. The curved fore-paws are 

 longer than the hind paws, the body sloping from 

 the shoulders to the tail, and the feet are all four- 



toed. The ears are scantily clothed with hair and of 

 ignoble shape ; the eyes have a slanting position, and 

 glow with an uncanny, unsteady, repulsive expression. 

 The thick head looks stiff, the bushy tail does not 

 reach lower than the ankle-joint and the long, coarse 

 fur forms a crest on the spine, resembling a Hog's 

 bristles ; the color is gloomy and all these features 

 combine to produce an unattractive appearance. 

 All Hyaenas are nocturnal animals and are possessed 

 of a repulsive, discordant, shrill and even ghostly, 

 laughing voice ; they are greedy, gluttonous, give 

 forth an offensive odor and walk in a skulking, nearly 

 limping manner. In fact, these animals have many 

 oddities in their appearance and the most kindly 

 observer could not call them good-looking. Com- 

 parative anatomists credit them with still more 

 marked peculiarities. Their teeth are of an exclu- 

 sively carnivorous character, and the great strength 

 of the clumsy jaws and teeth enables them to devour 

 what has been left of the carcasses slain by other 

 carnivorous beasts, as they are able to crunch the 

 largest bones. The incisors are well developed, the 

 canines of a blunt, conical shape; the premolars have 

 strongly depressed crowns, and the grinding-teeth 

 are distinguished by their enormous size. Powerful 

 cheek-muscles, large salivary glands, a tongue fur- 

 nished with horny projections, a wide gullet and pe- 

 culiar tail-glands are further distinguishing features 

 of the animals under consideration. 



Range and The range of the Hyaena is very wide, 

 Habits of the comprising all of Africa and south- 

 Hyasnas. ern Asia as far as the Bay of Bengal, 

 but not extending east of it, and excluding Ceylon. 

 These animals do not frequent close, extensive for- 

 ests, but prefer the open country grown with grass, 

 bushes, small woods, and even plains or deserts. 

 They are met in the daytime only when they have 

 been frightened from their hiding places ; the sun 

 must have set before they think of sallying forth. 

 Then may be heard the howl of these animals, as 

 they prowl around singly or in small troops, looking 

 for carcasses or live prey. When one of them com- 

 mences its abominable nocturnal song, all the others 

 usually join in the unearthly music. The voice of the 

 Striped Hyaena is very discordant, but not as disa- 

 greeable as common report declares; hoarse sounds 

 alternate with shrill notes, shrieks with murmurs or 

 growls. On the other hand the howl of the Spotted 

 species consists of a really ghostly laughter. He 

 who hears these sounds for the first time cannot 

 refrain from shuddering, and recognizes in them one 

 of the main reasons for the invention of the many 

 stories concerning these animals. It is very probable 

 that Hyaenas call one another by these howls, and 

 the noise immediately ceases when one of them has 



