490 CARNIVORES. 



identical, although the fossil European hyaenas were generally of larger dimensions 

 than the existing African form. Moreover, a single lower flesh-tooth obtained 

 from a cavern in Madras points to the conclusion that the range of this species at 

 one time also embraced the southern part of India. 



When the spotted hysena was an inhabitant of the vales of Yorkshire and 

 of the Mendip Hills the climate of Britain must have been very diflerent from 

 what it is now, it being impossible to believe that an animal now restricted to 

 Africa could have withstood the rigours of our present winters. That the 

 British spotted hyfenas of the cave period were not mere summer stragglers from 

 the south is amply shown by the quantities of their remains which are found 

 in some of the cave.s. Such caverns were veritable hyaena dens, where the animals 

 must have lived from year's end to year's end, and from generation to generation. 



The spotted hysena is a far fiercer and more aggressive animal than his Indian 

 relative. During the Abyssinian campaign, Mr. Blanford states ,that these animals 

 constantly came amongst the tents at night, and would at times attack the mules, 

 ponies, cattle, and goats tethered near the camp. In that part of the country the 

 hyaenas are stated to be as common in the highlands as in the lowlands : although, 

 as already mentioned, this does not appear to be the case in the Kilima-njaro 

 district, where Mr. Johnston observes that not only do they steal sheep and 

 calves from the herds, but they even carry off children, and often attack wounded 

 and weakly men. " I once," continues Mr. Johnston, " sent a sick man back to the 

 coast a short distance by himself, and he M'as severely bitten at night by the 

 hyaenas. He succeeded, however, in beating them off, and recovered from his 

 wounds." 



Sir Samuel Baker describes the midnight visit of a hyfena to his tent, when 

 on the Upper Nile, in the following words : — " I was asleep in my tent, when I was 

 suddenly awakened by a slight pull at my sleeve, which was the signal always 

 given by my wife if anything was wrong. . . . She now whispered tliat a hj^aena 

 had been within the tent, but that it had just bolted out, as the.se animals are so 

 wary that they detect the slightest movement or noise. As a rule, I never shoot at 

 hj-aenas, but, as I feared it might eat our saddles, I lay in bed with the rifle to my 

 shoulder, pointed towards the tent door through which the moon was shining 

 brightly. In a few minutes a gi-ej^-looking object stood like an apparition at the 

 entrance, peering into the tent to see if all were right before it entered. I touched 

 the trigger, and tlie hyaena fell dead." 



The Hon. W. H. Drummond, referring to the spotted hyaenas of South-East 

 Africa, notices the damage these animals do to cattle, more especially cows; 

 and then mentions certain instances where they have attacked human beings. 

 " Cowardly when there is the faintest suspicion of danger, daring when there is none, 

 stealthy and cunning to the last degree, and provided with great powers of scent 

 and hearing, added to immen.se strength, there is no animal so universally hated, or 

 that causes more trouble and annoyance to both hunters and the peaceful natives." 

 Common as they are in South-East Africa, spotted hyaenas are, however, but 

 very seldom seen, as they are quite as nocturnal as their striped cousin, retiring 

 to their holes at the earliest dawn, " Regular beaten paths," he continues, " lead 

 to these burrows, along which thej- invariably go, both when coming out and 



