QUADRUPEDS. 303 



over a great extent of country from India to Palestine, and 

 from Egypt and Barbary along the shores and through the 

 central deserts of Africa to the Cape of Good Hope. This 

 18 the species commonly called the lion's provider. It 

 hunts in packs ; and the king of beasts, when roused from 

 his slumbers by the yells of these creatures in pursuit of 

 prey, probably follows the hue and cry, and ere long comes 

 in for his share of slaughtered deer or antelope. Tho 

 Cape jackall, commonly so called {Canis mesomelanus), re- 

 sembles a fox, and is characterized by a triangular mark of 

 blackish gray upon the back, broader at the shoulders, and 

 finishing in a point at the origin of the tail. It inhabits the 

 Cape of Good Hope. Another species ( C. anthus) is found 

 in Senegal. 



Intermediate between the dogs and hyenas may be placed 

 a curious African animal, long known to the Cape colonists 

 by the name of wild dog. " In the morning," says Mr. 

 Burchell, " Philip returned with the oxen ; but reported that, 

 in consequence of Abram Abram's neglecting on the night 

 before to secure them as usual in the cattle-pound, the wilde 

 konden (wild dogs) had bitten off the tails of three. One 

 had only lost the brush, but the others were deprived of the 

 whole." This species hunts in regular packs, both during 

 the night and day ; and it is so rapid in its movements that 

 none but the fleetest animals can ensure their safety. 

 Sheep fall an easy sacrifice, though the larger cattle are sel- 

 dom attacked, except stealthily from behind for the sake of 

 snapping off their tails. The want of a tail, in a warm 

 country swarming with flies, is a source of the most serious 

 annoyance to any quadruped ; and the visits of this hyena- 

 dog are therefore much dreaded and suitably guarded 

 against. The animal in question is of a more slender form 

 than either the striped or the spotted hyena. Its general 

 colour is a sandy bay or ochrey yellow, shaded with darker 

 hairs ; and the whole body is blotched and brindled vdth 

 black, with here and there a spot of wliite. Mr. Burchell's 

 specimen, wliich he kept for thirteen months chained up in 

 a stable-yard, was extremely ferocious in its nature. It 

 became at length in some degree attached to a common dog, 

 Ivith which it used to gambol ; but even the keeper by 

 li^hom it was fed never ventured to touch it with his hand. 



Africa is the country of hyenas. The spotted specie*" 



