HISTORY OF QUADRUPEDS. 271 



The Striped HYENA. 



ALTHOUGH naturalifts, both ancient and mo- 

 dern, have defcribed the Hyena under different 

 denominations, and have afcribed to it properties which 

 it is now known not to pofTefs ; yet its characters are fo 

 lingular, that it is impoffible to miftake them, and fo pe- 

 culiar, as to diftinguifh it from every other clafs of ani- 

 mals. In many refpecls it refembles thofe of the Dog 

 kind, has fome fimilitude to the Wolf in form and difpo- 

 fition, and is about the fame fize. 



The Hyena has only four toes on each foot; its head 

 is broad and flat, and its muzzle fhorter than that of the 

 Wolf; its fore legs are longer than the hind ones ; its 

 ears are long, pointed, and bare; and its eyes are re- 

 markably wild, fullen, and ferocious. 



There are two varieties, — the one ftriped, and the 

 other fpotted. The hair of the former is of an afh co- 

 lour, marked with long black ftripes, difpofed in waves, 



