THE AARD OR EARTH WOLF 
tive in his assertions that they never molest the 
young stock, or interfere with ostrich eggs or chicks. 
On two or three occasions, to test whether they 
ate flesh food, he placed lumps of meat in front of 
their burrows, but they did not touch them. 
It is asserted by many farmers that some of these 
animals have acquired the habit of killing lambs 
and kids for the sake. of the curdled milk in their 
stomachs. ‘This is a habit which baboons in some 
districts have acquired. 
It is also accused of eating ostrich eggs. The 
Cape Jackal is known to have acquired this habit. 
The eggs are broken by knocking them against each 
other, oronstones. If Aard Wolves are occasionally 
guilty of these practices, it does not follow that it 
is a habit of all their tribe. Because a hawk takes 
to chicken-stealing, it by no means follows that all 
the hawk tribe should be condemned and shot at 
sight because of the guilt of one of their kind. 
Aard Wolves are shy and timid animals, and 
go in mortal fear of dogs. ‘They are poor runners, 
and, therefore, do not venture far from their 
lairs, except in the parts of the country remote 
from the habitations of man. Most farmers secure 
their sheep and goats at night in pens or kraals, and 
in these situations they are invariably safe from 
any over-venturesome Aard Wolf, which would 
belie its nature if it ventured within the sphere of 
the farmer’s dogs. The animal being nocturnal, 
it would, therefore, not interfere with any kids or 
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