200 
THE MAMATALS OE EGYPT. 
in the scrubby bushy area round Bir Karaween and Bir Murr. The people of Farafreb 
also state that one used to visit the village some years ago. 
“ This hyaena is a very solitary animal, more than two (male and female) seldom or 
never being seen together. In the Nile Valley and the Fayum they are very common 
although rarely seen, as they only approach the cultivated lands after dark, where they 
roam about in search of food all night, returning to the desert before dawn. Their 
lairs are in nearly all cases at a good distance from the cultivation, generally from five to 
ten miles away. They always seem to keep away from neighbours of their own species. 
They commonly select some small hill standing up above the ground-level of the desert, 
the weathered harder beds of which afford the only protection against the sun. The 
lair is always marked by an abundance of bones, the remains of the spoil brought up 
from the cultivated lands. They sleep hard throughout the day, selecting that part 
of their domicile which offers the greatest comfort, taking into account the direction of 
the wind, heat of the sun, &c. 
“ By following up a fresh spoor from the cultivation, and removing one’s boots when 
approaching likely ground, hyaenas are generally easily approached, sometimes to within 
a few yards, before they are awakened. When disturbed they show no fight, but only 
anxiety to make off with all possible haste. Their pace is very fast, although it 
appears slow and ungainly, due to the difference in length between the front and 
hind limbs, 
“ On one occasion, after a long track of some miles, I saw a fine male in a sort 
of cave under the projecting bed of limestone on a hill about 30 feet above the 
general level of the desert. Fie was afraid to come out, although I had fired at 
his mate from quite close by. Directly he caught sight of me he crouched down 
and hid, and did not bolt until I had climbed up to within a few yards of where he 
was lying; he had to pass within a couple of yards to get out, and although I 
had practically bearded him in his den, he showed no sign of fight. As he dashed 
by I fired, but only broke one of his legs, which did not stop him, and down 
he dashed to the base of the hill, where the Arab who was accompanying me greeted 
him with a blow from my geological hammer. This diversion gave me time to 
rush and catch him up, and as he could not go faster than I could run, I was able 
to keep up and treat him to a succession of heavy blows, until at last he sank 
down, when I put an end to him with a bullet. Each time I struck him he turned 
his head and snarled, showing a nasty set of teeth, but beyond this he made no 
attempt to fight. You will see that this hysena is a very cowardly animal, which 
contradicts the statements of the Arabs as to their great ferocity. This specimen 
weighed 65-| lbs. The skin and skull are now at my home in England. 
“ The Striped Hyaena keeps itself very clean, and the hair is generally long and well 
kept. The stomach of this one contained only some balls of hair and a few small 
