1869. ] DR. J. E. GRAY ON THE SPOTTED HYENA. 245 
stops at the notch. It then flies along, with the grass streaming 
behind it. As the edge of the grass is much serrated, the bird 
has to consider and pass it through the work the right way. This 
serration renders it so difficult to pull a nest to pieces, and makes 
the same nest last for years. 
In some instances the male continues to build for amusement after 
the nest is finished, not only elongating the tubular entrance, but 
also making a kind of false nest. 
Before the colony ceased building there were more than seventy 
nests in the tree, which is represented in the photograph now exhibited 
(Plate XVII.). Three great notches may be seen on the trunk. These 
were made when the tree was smaller, by baring a side of the crown 
and tapping the trunk for toddy to be used in bread-making. This 
operation so weakened the tree, that last year in a violent storm the 
crown broke off, and thus destroyed the whole settlement. 
8. Note on the Young of the Spotted Hyzna (Crocuta macu- 
lata). By Dr. J. E. Gray, F.R.S., V-P.Z.S., &c. 
The British Museum has lately acquired a very young female pup 
of the Spotted Hyzna (Crocuta maculata), which was born in the 
Society’s Gardens. 
The animal is covered with a short soft fur of nearly uniform 
length, of a nearly uniform rather brownish-black colour, which is 
rather paler on the face. It is without any indication of spots. The 
tail is slender, tapering. There is a stuffed specimen of a rather 
older and larger male in the British Museum, which was preserved 
by M. Verreaux at the Cape; it is of the same uniform tint, but is 
much paler, and has become paler than it originally was on one side 
by exposure in the case. 
I may observe that the pups of the Striped Hyzna (Hyena 
striata) are pale and streaked like the adult. There are some spe- 
cimens of very young pups of this species in the British Museum. 
The skull of the very young female pup is svulid; and the bones 
are well ossified, and united in all parts by very narrow and often 
indistinct sutures. The bulle of the ears are peculiar for having a 
large space on the outer side of the under surface only covered with 
membrane, which has the opening of the ear in the upper part near 
the margin of its outer side. This disk occupies about one-third of 
the lower surface of the bony bulla. The cutting-teeth and the 
canines are well developed, the cutting-teeth in each of the jaws 
being placed in a straight line, the outer tooth in each series being 
rather the largest. The grinders are not developed above the-alveoli ; 
but their situation is indicated by the dried pulps. There are three 
pulps on each side of each jaw: the two front ones on each side of 
the upper jaw, belonging to the premolars, are small; the others in 
both jaws are rather large. 
Proc. Zoou. Soc.—1869, No. XVII. 
