THE HY^P.NA. 235 



pcct is savage, his voice dreaclfvil, his stench insup- 

 portable, his disposition perverse, his manners fe- 

 rocious : destructive, and odious to mankind while 

 living ; and wiien dead, of little use. 



THE HY.ENA*. 



The Hyagna is a native of Asiatic Turkey, Syria, 

 Persia, and many parts of Africa. It is about the 

 size of a large Dog, of a pale greyish brown, and 

 marked across with several distant blackish bands. 

 The hair of its neck is erect, and is continued in a 

 bristly mane along the back. The tail is rather 

 short, and very bushy. The head is broad and flat, 

 and the eyes have an expression of great wildness 

 and ferocity. 



The ancients entertained many absurd notions 

 respecting this animal. They believed that its neck 

 consisted of but one bone, which was without a 

 joint ; that it every year changed its sex ; that it 

 could imitate the human voice, and had thus the 

 power of charming the shepherds, and rivetting 

 them to the place on v/hich they stood. 



The Hysenas generally inhabit caverns and rocky 

 places ; prowling about in the night to feed on the 

 remains of dead animals, or on whatever living prey 

 they can seize. They violate the repositories of the 

 dead, and greedily devour the putrid corpse. Ihey 

 likewise prey on cattle, and frequently commit great 



* Synonyms. — Canis Hyaena. Linn. — Striped Ilyxna. Fcnii. — 



L'Hyxna. B'il/bn. S/urSs Gen. .Z'ool. ]-'/.7'i.—BiW. 2uad. 271. 



