MAMMALIA—HYZENA. 16] 
hut, according to Kempfer, who was an ear-witness of the fact, it sounds 
like the lowing of a calf. When at a loss for other prey, it scrapes up the 
earth with its feet, and devours the carcasses both of animals and men, 
which, in the countries that it inhabits, are interred promiscuously in the 
fields. 
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Tuts animal is a native of Southern Africa, and abounds in the neighbor- 
hood of the Cape of Good Hope, where it is called the tiger wolf. It is 
somewhat inferior in size to the striped hyena, but, in its wild state, has 
the same manners and propensities. Its short muzzle is less abruptly 
truncated, and its ears, short and broad in form, are of a nearly quadrilateral 
figure. The general color of the hide is a dirty yellow, or yellowish brown, 
and the whole body is covered with spots of a blackish brown, excepting 
the under part of the belly and of the breast, the inner surface of the limbs 
and the head. The muzzle is black, and the tail covered with long bushy 
hair of a blackish brown. Like the striped hyena, the spotted species has 
jaws of enormous strength, with which it easily breaks to pieces the hard- 
est bones. 
It isa common but erroneous idea, that the hyena is wholly savage and 
untamable. Both species have been tamed, and instances are recorded of 
individuals having manifested all the attachment of adog. The striped 
hyena has recently been domesticated in the Cape territory, and is consider- 
ed one of the best hunters after game, and as faithful and diligent as any 
of the common domestic dogs. The truth is, that the hyena hes a very 
1 H. capensis, Desn. 
21 
