CARNIVORES. 



Needless to say, the sufferings of the poor brute were soon terminated by a, 

 bullet. Although, owing to their nocturnal habits, hyaenas are seldom seen, yet 

 in some parts of India, from the multitude of their tracks, they must be very common. 

 These tracks, as Mr. Blanford observes, are like those of a dog, from which they 

 may, however, be distinguished by the small size of the prints of the hind as. 

 compared with those of the fore-feet. 



THE BROWN HYAENA (Hycena brunnea). 



The brown hysena is far less well known than either of the other living 

 species. Although in most respects more nearly allied to the striped hysena, it 

 exhibits some points of affinity with the spotted species. It is characterised by 

 the long mantle of coarse hair, depending from the neck and back, and reaching 

 below the belly, as is well shown in our illustration on p. 487. The ears are long 

 and pointed, and the tail is short and bushy. The general colour of the long hair 

 is uniform dark brown, with lighter brown or , whitish patches on the legs; while 

 the head is dark greyish-brown, and the forehead black, sprinkled with whitish 

 or reddish-brown. The long hair of the back is whitish-grey at the root, and 

 blackish-brown above. The legs are striped. In size this species is about the 

 same as the striped hysena. 



The brown hysena is a South African species, ranging on the East Coast as 

 far as Kilima-njaro, while on the west side it may extend as far north as 

 Mossamedes. It does not ever appear to be found at any great distance from the 

 coast. It is doubtless this species, referred to by Mr. H. H. Johnston as the striped 

 hysena, which is common on the flanks of Kilima-njaro, up which it ascends to a 

 considerable elevation ; the spotted hysena being confined to the plains. In its pre- 

 ference for rocky spots in that district it, therefore, resembles the striped hysena. 



THE SPOTTED HY.ENA (Hycena crocuta). 



The African spotted hysena is by far the largest and most powerful of 

 the three living species, differing from the others not only in several structural 

 features, but also by its habit of associating in packs, and of giving utterance more 

 frequently to its unearthly cry. 



Externally the spotted hysena is distinguished by its rounded and moderate- 

 sized ears, by the absence of a crest of long hairs along the neck and back, and the 

 shorter and less hairy tail. Moreover, the hind feet are relatively larger in 

 proportion to the fore-feet, and the front and hind-legs are more nearly equal in 

 length; the hind -limbs being less bent than in the other species. The ground- 

 colour of the fur of the body is yellowish, and upon it are dark brown spots ; 

 the front of the face and the lower portions of the limbs being also dark. 



In addition to certain structural features of the soft parts, into the considera- 

 tion of which it would be out of place to enter here, the spotted hyaena is 

 distinguished by the characters of its teeth. As these have been already 

 partially described (p. 485), it will Suffice to mention that the upper molar-tooth, 

 situated on the inner side of the exceedingly elongated flesh-tooth, has a very 



