2

THE HY AINA. 3
at night. Thus the animals are nearest to the door, notwith-
standing which the hyzena will “pass by the calves and take
the children from under the mother’s kaross; and this in such
a gentle and cautious manner, that the poor parent is uncon-
scious of her loss, until the cries of her little innocent have
reached her from without, when it has been a close prisoner
in the jaws of the monster.” Many years ago, when animals
were kept at the Tower of London, the den of a spotted
hyena required some repair. “The carpenter,” says Mrs.
Bowdich, “nailed a thick oaken plank upon the floor, about
seven feet long, putting at least a dozen nails into it, each
longer than his middle finger. At one end of this piece of
wood there was a small projection, and not having a proper
chisel with him by which he might remove it, the man
retumed to his shop to*fetch one. While he was absent some
persons came to see the animals, and the hyzena was let
down by the keeper into the part of the den in which the
carpenter had been at work. Directly the beast saw the
projecting piece of wood he seized it with his teeth, tore the
plank up, and drew out every nail with the utmost ease;
which action will give a good idea of the muscular strength
of this creature.”

A Nerrow ‘Sparrman tells an amusing story of the daring

Meeape. and the fright of a hyena, as follows: “One
night, at a feast near the Cape, a trumpeter who had made
himself drunk with liquor was carried out of doors and laid
on the grass, in order that the air might both cool and
sober him. The scent of the man soon attracted a spotted
hyzena, which threw him on his back, and carried him away
towards Table Mountain. The hyzena doubtless supposed
that the senseless drunkard was a corpse, and consequently
a fair prize. In the meantime the musician awoke, and
was at once sufficiently sensible to know the danger of his
situation, and to sound the alarm with his trumpet, which
he fortunately carried at his side. The hyzena, as it may be