LOVERS OF THE CHASE AND OTHERS 75 



It seems remarkable that such a small animal as this should be 

 capable of accomplishing such wonderful deeds of daring, but union 

 in their case indeed is strength. To reflect upon the fact that an 

 animal no larger than an ordinary Collie can successfully attack a 

 large beast like the Gaur, which even the redoubtable Tiger usually 

 ■fights shy of, is extraordinary. Indeed we are told by a highly 

 competent authority that "even the Tiger himself is believed occa- 

 sionally to be killed by the red pack, and in any case their operations 

 so terrify his prey that he may be forced to leave the depleted 

 district." 



The Dhole is not a graceful animal by any means, but what it 

 lacks in this respect it makes amends for in others. Its bite is of a 

 terribly severe nature, and when the pangs of hunger are severely 

 felt one can imagine what an onslaught must be made against the 

 foe. On one occasion only has the Indian Dhole been known to 

 attack man, but hunters consider the Siberian beast a nasty nut to 

 crack, and it is distinctly dreaded. We are told that if the Indian 

 species acquires in time dangerous habits it will become a much 

 worse enemy to the natives than the Wolf or even the man-eating 

 Tiger ! 



Most of the animals we have so far considered eat carrion as 

 well as being great hunters and lovers of the chase, but with the 

 Dhole this is not so. 



The breeding operations are carried out in an earth which is 

 excavated by the adults, and, like the Rabbit, "in some cases, at all 

 events, they form quite a colony." The young ones, instead of 

 being red hke their parents, are sooty-brown and much resemble 

 young Fox-cubs. 



BEOWN HYiENA. • — I have noted how most people who visit 

 collections of wild animals in which Hyenas are included, pur- 

 posely fight shy of these nocturnal wanderers. Why is this ? True 

 enough they evince considerable restlessness in their dark, ill-suited 

 cages, and their cry is ear-splitting, but exactly why they should be 

 such poor favourites among the general public I have long failed to 

 understand. Probably it is because of their "skulking, cowardly, 

 treacherous and cruel " habits, but to my mind the most hideous 

 animal living — the Tasmanian Devil, if you like — has some interest- 

 ing trait in its character deserving of notice, and it is only as a 

 result of a comprehensive knowledge of wild creatures that one can 

 gain any adequate idea of their relative differences in form, structure. 



