OR, PLAIN 



with pestilential effluvia. They are Nature's 

 scavengers, and assiduously do they labour in 

 their vocation : they clear the battle-field of the 

 victims of barbarous warfare, gorging on the 

 bodies of the slain ; they disinter the dead from 

 the lightly-covered grave ; they ransack towns 

 and villages in search of offal ; they prowl about 

 the fields, and around the enclosures of human 

 dwellings. The carrion which chance throws in 

 their way furnishes a luxurious meal, nor are 

 the strongest bones unacceptable— such is the 

 power of their jaws, that they crunch the thigh- 

 bone of an ox for the sake of the marrow it 

 encloses. 



Carrion and dead bodies, however, are not 

 their only food ; they prey upon horses, sheep, 

 and cattle, often committing extensive depreda- 

 tions ; nor are human beings safe from their 

 murderous assaults. They seldom, indeed, at- 

 tack man openly, and usually avoid a contest 

 with him ; but when driven to self-defence, they 

 turn furiously upon their assailant, and combat 

 with determined obstinacy. On the contrary, 

 the sleeping man, woman, or child, which they 

 chance to discover in their nightly prowl, almost 

 certainly falls a victim. Their haunts by day 

 are dens and caves, gloomy rocks, and the ruins 

 of towns and sepulchral monuments of antiquity ; 

 there the "fell hyaena" rears her brood. As 

 darkness sets in, these fierce beasts emerge from 

 their lair, and menacing, with teeth displayed 

 and glaring eyes, warn the intruder to a timely 

 retreat.* 



The hycena has generally been 

 regarded as perfectly un tameable ; 

 but some instances are on record 

 of their having been tamed, and 

 exhibited a dog-like attachment. 



Marsupialia — E. 



The marsupialia constitute an 

 interesting order of animals, dis- 

 tinguished by the possession of a 

 pocket or pouch, into which the 

 young retire when alarmed, or to 

 seek warmth from their parent. 



The word marsupium means a 

 purse or pouch ; and hence, these 

 animals derive the name of mar- 

 supialia. Of this order are the 

 opossum, hanguroo, 17, &c. The 

 latter is peculiar to Australia, 

 being the only wild animal of 

 any considerable size. 



The use of the pouch, 18, is 

 to hold and foster the young 



* Knight's Mauum of Animated Nature. 



TEACHING. 177 



while they are in a helpless 

 condition. The young of the 



17 



516. 



marsupialia are generally born in 

 a more feeble state than those 

 of other animals. The opossum, 

 hanguroo* &c, progress by a 



series of leaps, to which their 

 large hind feet, 19, and enor* 



* Spelt also kangaroo, but more properly ns abc-*a 



