204 THE HYENA 



I should regard as little if at all easier than the 

 fracture of a steel telegraph pole. In any case, 

 I have known this animal bite in two the largest 

 bone a buffalo contains, namely, that of the thigh, 

 the whole of which, ends and all, it swallowed in 

 the course of its meal. 



Hyenas may often be seen late in the evening 

 as they leave their lairs in search of food. They 

 are lonely beasts, and, although many may 

 congregate at a kill, or at some well-accustomed 

 centre where food is known to occur, they do not 

 belong to anything in the nature of a family or 

 other assemblage. At break of day, therefore, 

 each one will take his solitary way back to his 

 daily hiding-place. The females produce two or 

 three whelps at a time, which are said to be 

 supported during their later period of helplessness 

 by the food which their mother, on arrival in the 

 morning from some over-night feast, purposely 

 vomits for their benefit. 



In native folk-lore, and stories relative to 

 witch-craft, the greatest faith is felt for cases in 

 which persons accused of the detested offences 

 falling within this category receive the power to 

 transform themselves into hyenas and disinter 

 and devour, whilst so disguised, the bodies of the 

 newly buried dead. This, of course, arises from 

 occasional acts of the most degraded cannibalism, 

 of which, as a form of madness, I am satisfied that 

 at times certain natives are unquestionably guilty. 

 Indeed, years ago, when I was vested with certain 

 magisterial powers, I ascertained, from the details 

 of the evidence of cases which came before me, 



