HYJENA STEIATA. 119 



Length of one 8 feet 6 inches to root of tail ; tail 17 inches. 



The hytena is common over the greater part of India, most rare in the 



forest districts, and abundant in open country, especially where low hills and 



ravines offer convenient spots for the holes and caverns it frequents. It is 



not enumerated by Kelaart from Ceylon. It is quite nocturnal, sallying 



forth after dark and hunting for carcases, the bones of which it gnaws, 



occasionally catching some prowling dog, or stray sheep as a " boime 



bouche." Adams says that it is " very destructive to poultry." This I 



have not heard noticed elsewhere. Now and then one wiU be found in the 



early morning making its way back to its den, but in general it is safe 



in its lair long before sunrise. I have more than once turned one out of a 



sugar-cane field when looking for jackals, and it very commonly lurks 



among ruins ; but in general its den is in a hole dug by itself on the 



side of a hiU or ravine, or a cave in a rock. The call of the hyasna is a 



very disagreeable unearthly cry, and dogs are often tempted out by it 



when near, and fall a victim to the stealthy marauder. On one occasion a 



small dog belonging to an officer of the Madras 33rd N. I., was taken 



off by a hyssna very early in the morning. The den of this beast was 



known to be not far off in some sandstone cliffs (at Dumoh near Saugor), 



and some sepoys of the detachment went after it, entered the cave, kiUed 



the hysena, and recovered the dog alive, and with but little damage done 



toitl 



A hysena, though it does not appear to move very fast, gets over rough 

 ground in a wonderful manner, and it takes a good long run to overtake 

 it on horseback unless in most favorable ground. A stray hysena is now 

 and then met with by a party of sportsmen, followed and speared ; but 

 sometimes not till after a run of three or four miles if the ground is broken 

 by ravines. It is a cowardly animal, and shows but little fight when 

 brought to bay. The young are very tameable, and show great signs of 

 attachment to their owner, in spite of aU that has been written about the 

 untameable ferocity of the hysena. 



Other species of hysena are H. crocuta, [the spotted hysena, and H. 

 brunnea, the woolly hysena, both from Southern Africa. The Protelea 

 lalandii, Is. Geoffroy, also an African animal, most resembles a hysena 

 in outward appearance, but has an anomalous form of dentition. The 

 canines are moderately large, there are three false molars, and one small 

 tuberculous back molar ; and all are small and separated by intervals. It 

 has five toes before and four behind. 



