SPOTTED HTiENA. 
) 258 
the destruction of our mules and asses, which, 
above every thing else, are his favourite food. 51 
At Dar-F ur, a kingdom in the interior of Afri- 
ca, the hyaenas come in herds of six, eight, and 
often more, into the villages at night, and carry 
off with them whatever they are able to master. 
They will kill dogs and asses, even within the 
inclosure of the houses ; and always assemble 
wherever a dead camel or other animal is thrown, 
which, acting in concert, they drag to a prodigi- 
ous distance ; nor are they greatly alarmed at the 
sight of men, or the report of fire-arms. Mr. 
Brown was told, that whenever any one of them 
was wounded, its companions would always in- 
stantly tear it to pieces and devour it. 
A remarkable peculiarity in this animal, though 
sometimes observed in dogs, is, that when he is 
first dislodged from cover, or obliged to run, he 
always appears lame for a considerable distance ; 
and sometimes to such a degree, according to Mr. 
Bruce, as to induce the spectators to suppose 
that one of his hind legs is broken ; but after 
running some time, this affection goes off, and he 
escapes swiftly away. 
The neck is so extremely stiff, that in looking 
behind, or in snatching obliquely at any object, he 
is obliged to move his whole body, somewhat in 
the manner of a hog. When the Arabs take any 
of these animals, they are very careful to bury the 
head, lest the brain, according to their supersti- 
tion, should be used in sorcery or enchantment. 
Spotted hyaena, or tyger wolf. 
The spotted hyama has a considerable resem- 
blance to the former species ; but is larger, and 
marked with numerous roundish black spots. 
