NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 
an eatable nature cast up by the tide, such as crabs, 
dead fish, stranded penguins, seals, whales, &c., 
the bodies of which would otherwise putrefy and 
taint both water and air, and thus be prejudicial 
to other forms of life. If carrion is abundant the 
hyena will not trouble trying to obtain other food, 
but this class of food cannot be depended on, so 
the Strand Wolf supplements his natural diet with 
small mammals, reptiles, the young and eggs of 
ground-frequenting birds, and insects. 
However, ‘like others of its tribe, including the 
wolves and‘ jackals, it does not recognise the right 
of the humanfolk to keep flocks and herds of 
animals to themselves, so, when chance offers it 
levies heavy toll upon them, therefore the hyena 
and man cannot live in proximity. When civilised 
man makes his advent, the scavenging services of 
the hyzna are no longer needed. Like others of 
its kind the Brown Hyzna is a cunning, secretive, 
and cowardly animal, hiding away in some secure 
retreat during the daytime, and venturing forth 
at night, except in remote districts far from the 
haunts of man, where it roams about in quest of 
food both day and night, with intervals of rest. 
The two main factors in determining the habits 
of animals are the presence of enemies, and a food 
supply. Should enemies be most numerous during 
the daylight hours, the tendency is to develop 
nocturnal habits: and again, apart from the dread 
of enemies, an animal, finding that other creatures 
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