HISTORY OF QUADRUPEDS. 299 



There are two varieties, the one striped, and the 

 other spotted. The hair of the former is of an ash 

 colour, marked with long black stripes, disposed in 

 waves, from the back downward; there are others 

 across the legs; the hair in general is coarse and 

 rough; its tail is short and bushy, with pretty long 

 hair, sometimes plain, and sometimes barred with 

 black; immediately underneath the tail, and above 

 the anus, there is an orifice like that of the Badger, 

 which opens into a kind of pouch, and contains a 

 substance of the consistence of civet, but of a rank, 

 disagreeable odour. This opening may probably 

 have given rise to the error of the ancients, who 

 asserted, that the Hyena was every alternate year 

 male and female. Its manner of holding its head 

 is somewhat like a Dog pursuing a scent with its 

 nose near the ground. This position of the head 

 makes the shoulders appear more elevated. A 

 bristly mane runs along the top of the back from 

 head to tail, which gives it an appearance some- 

 what like a Hog ; from which probably it may have 

 derived its name; the word huaina being a Greek 

 word derived from hus, which signifies a SOW T . 

 Such are the most striking distinctions of the 

 Hyena, which has been pictured by ignorance and 

 timidity under every form that can strike terror 

 into the imagination. Wonderful powers were 

 ascribed to it by the ancients ; who believed that it 

 changed its sex ; that it imitated the human voice, 

 and by that means attracted unwary travellers, and 

 destroyed them ; that it had the power of charming 

 the shepherds, and as it were riveting them to the 

 place where they stood. Many other things, equally 

 absurd, have been told of this animal : but these are 

 sufficient to she\v, that objects of terror and super- 



