1 02 Hr^NiD^. MAMMALIA. Hv.asNiD.'E. 
grey colour, which is darker along the central line of 
the back and neck, where the hairs are prolonged to 
form an erectile mane, the sides of the body being also 
marked by several dark-brown bands. All the hj^aenas 
display remarkable strength and voracity, their jaws 
being eminently fitted for tearing and crushing the 
hardest substances. At night they prowl about in 
large numbers, devouring alike living and dead animals, 
whether the latter be fresh or semiputrid. Graves are 
torn open without ceremony — a circumstance which 
has given rise to various superstitions and silly tales, 
which ancient writers ignorantly delighted to record. 
The Striped hya;na is not very particular as to the char- 
acter or size of his victim. Colonel Denham, when at 
Kouka, informs us that a legion of this species literally 
stormed a large village in that neighbourhood one 
night, and, notwithstanding that the place was sur- 
rounded by a barricade, consisting of branches of the 
prickly tulip nearly six feet in height, they succeeded 
in throwing it down and taking away two donkeys. 
He adds — “We constantly heard them close to the 
walls of our own town at nights, and on a gate being 
left parti}' open, tliey would enter and carry off any 
unfortunate animal that they could find in the streets.” 
It has often been stated that hyaenas cannot be tamed 
— a notion which is entirely erroneous. Among the 
very many proofs which have been adduced to show 
that the species under consideration is quite capable 
of domestication, we may refer to Mr. Bennett’s account 
of a Striped hyaena kept in the tower of London, 
which manifested remarkable docility and attachment 
to its keeper. It may also be mentioned, on the 
authority of Colonel Sykes, that in central India, 
where the species is numerous, they are found to be 
as susceptible of domestication as ordinary dogs. 
THE SPOTTED HY.S:NA {Hycena crocnta). — This 
is called the “ Tiger-wolf” by the colonists at the Cape 
of Good Hope, and it is often spoken of simply as the 
Wolf, in contradistinction to the next species, which is 
termed the Strand-wolf. Though most abundant in 
Southern Africa, the Spotted hyrena is found as far 
north and west as the coast of Guinea and Senegal, 
and even Barbary, if the statements of Lesson are 
correct. It is rather smaller than the last-described 
species, and is furtlier distinguished by the absence of 
any well-marked mane, as well as by the circumstance 
that the fur is covered with roundish black spots, instead 
of stripes, which, nevertheless, ^exhibit a tendency to 
arrange themselves in linear series. The general colour 
of the fur is yellowish-brown, the hairs being compara- 
tively short. The tail is bushy, and of a brownish- 
black tinge. The habits of the Spotted hyaena appear 
to he even more destructive than those of the striped 
species. Numerous accounts have been placed on 
record respecting its extraordinary rapacity, but of 
these we shall refer only to the more interesting. The 
traveller Steedman gives the following account of its 
depredations, as communicated to him by a trustworthy 
correspondent, who writes from Mamboland as follows : 
— “ To show clearly the preference of the wolf {i.e., 
Spotted hyaena) for human flesh, it will be necessary to 
notice, that when the Mambookies build their houses, 
which are in form like beehives, and tolerably large — 
often eighteen or twenty feet in diameter — the floor is 
raised at the higher or back part of the house, until 
within three or four feet of the front, where it suddenly 
terminates, leaving an area from thence to the wall, in 
which every midnight the calves are tied, to protect 
them from the storms or from wild beasts. Now it 
would be natural to suppose, that should the wolf 
(hytena) enter, he would seize the first object for his 
prey, especially as the natives always lie with the fire 
at their feet; but notwithstanding this, the constant 
practice of this animal has been in every instance to 
pass by the calves in the area, and even by the fire, 
and to take the children from under the mother’s kaross; 
and this in such a gentle and cautious manner, that the 
poor parent has been unconscious of her loss, until the 
cries of her little innocent have reached her from with- 
out, when a close prisoner in the jaws of the monster.” 
The same writer avers, that there had come to his 
knowledge no less than forty instances where these 
beasts had thus committed serious havoc within the 
space of only a few months. The Spotted hyaena is a 
great coward, for he will usually only attack his intended 
victim after he has succeeded in intimidating him, and 
in making him run for his life. To bring about this 
result, he utters hideous howls, and puts on every kind 
of snarl and grimace which his villanous physiognomy 
can conjure up. This propensity to howl, however, 
seems to be rather disadvantageous than otherwise, 
seeing that it serves as a warning to the occupants of 
farm-yards and villages. Its design is probably to 
inspire terror, and not to call together other hysenas of 
the same species, as some have supposed. Various 
methods are adopted to destroy this pest, the best of 
which seems to be that of a spring-gun trap, set in the 
following manner: — “ Two young trees are selected, 
and divested of their lower branches, or, in lieu of such, 
a couple of stout posts, firmly driven into the ground, 
will ahswer the purpose equally well. To these trees 
or posts, as the case may be, the gun is firmly lashed 
in a horizontal position, and with the muzzle pointing 
slightly upwards. A piece of wood about six inches in 
length — the lever, in short — is tied to the side of the 
gun-stock, in such a manner as to move slightly for- 
wards and backwards. A stout piece of string connects 
the trigger with the lower part of the lever. To the 
upper extremity of the latter is attached a long piece 
of cord, to the outer end of which, after it has been 
passed through one of the empty ramrod tubes, is tied 
a lump of flesh, which is pushed over the muzzle of the 
gun.” By this contrivance Mr. Anderson and his friends 
succeeded in destroying several hysenas. The same 
sportsman and author records in his “Lake Ngami” the 
following curious incident. While stationed at Great 
Namaqua-land, he says — “ Almost the first animal I 
saw at this place was a gigantic ‘ tiger-wolf,’ or Spotted 
hysena, which, to my surprise, instead of seeking safety 
in flight, remained stationary, grinning in the most 
ghastly manner. Having approached within twenty 
paces I perceived to my horror, that his fore-paws, and 
the skin and flesh of his front legs, had been gnawed 
away, and that he could scarcely move from the spot. 
To shorten the sulferings of the poor beast, I seized my 
opportunity, and knocked him on tlie head with a stone; 
