File:Brehm's Life of animals - a complete natural history for popular home instruction and for the use of schools. Mammalia (1896) (19792343503).jpg

Title: Brehm's Life of animals : a complete natural history for popular home instruction and for the use of schools. Mammalia
Identifier: brehmslifeofanim1896breh (find matches)
Year: 1896 (1890s)
Authors: Brehm, Alfred Edmund, 1829-1884; Pechuel-Loesche, Edward, 1840-1913; Haacke, Wilhelm, 1855-1912; Schmidtlein, Richard
Subjects: Mammals; Animal behavior
Publisher: Chicago : Marquis
Contributing Library: Internet Archive
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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THE DOG FAMILY—HY^XA DOG. 199 The Hycena The Hyaena Dog or Cape Hunting Dog or Cape Dog (Canis or Lycaon pic tits) is about Hunting Dog. tjie sjze 0f a lean \\olf or medium- sized domestic Dog, while his aspect more closely resembles the latter. In spite of the slender shape, it produces the impression of a vigorous, strong ani- mal. No two Dogs are marked exactly alike, only the head and nape of the neck exhibit a certain uni- formity in tint. The prevailing colors are white, black and ochre-yellow. Some have their ground color white, some black, and the lighter or darker spots contrast with these hues in bold relief. The spots are also of irregular shape; they may be small or large, and sometimes are distributed all over the body; but the white and yellow ones always have black margins. The snout is black up to the eyes and this color is continued in long stripes between the eyes and ears, along the top of the head and nape of the neck. The ears are black, the eyes brown. The root of the tail is ochre-yellow, the middle black, and the bushy tip white or ochre- yellow. The Hyaena Dog is a native of Africa, but his boundaries have not yet been exactly determined. He ranges in south Africa; Bochm saw him in east Africa to the east and also to the southwest of the Tanganyika Lake; Ruppell found him in Nubia, Schweinfurth says that he is abundant in the Bongo country and Nachtigal says the same about Kanem on the Tsad Lake. Cummings Gordon Account of Cumming Hycena Dogs. met H\;e- na Dogs in southern Africa. "These Dogs," says' he, "hunt in packs, varying in number up to sixty, and by their ex- traordinary power of en- durance are enabled to overcome the largest and most powerful An- telope. They do not at- tack Buffaloes, as far as my knowledge goes. They pursue their quar- ry until it is worn out; then it is dragged to the ground and in a few minutes torn to pieces and consumed." In spite of the really beau- tiful coloring and high stature of the Hyaena Dog, Heuglin calls it Behind it is the pack, yelping, howling, whining and uttering indescribable sounds, which might be termed joyous, for they resemble the bright tones of a bell. As the chase progresses, the Antelope forgets all danger except that which is most imminent, and hurries along, heedless of human beings, whom it usually shuns, followed by the close-banded pack of Dogs. The pace of the latter is a long, never-tiring gallop and their discipline is excellent. When the leading Hounds are fatigued they fall to the rear, and others, which have been reserving their strength, come up, and so they relieve each other as long as the chase endures. Finally the hunted animal is tired out and brought to bay. Conscious of its strength the Antelope turns around and faces its deadly foes. The slender, pointed horns sweep the sward in wide curves. But, although one or two of the pursuers succumb in the struggle, it is usually but a minute before the unequaUy matched Ante- lope lies on the ground in panting agony. Some- times, but rarely, it succeeds in freeing itself when first brought to bay. Then the hunt begins afresh and the voracious Dogs again rush after the Ante- lope, their snouts covered with blood. Their thirst for carnage is said to increase with the death of each /s~t
Text Appearing After Image:
THE CRAB-EATING DOG. This is a South American species of wild Doe, which is placed by some natu- ralists along with other South American animals in a group under the name of Fox-Wolves. The muz/le is distinctly Fox-like but the remainder ol the body, with the exception of the bushy tail, is more like that of the Wolf. Little is known about its habits except the Crab-eating propensity, from which it derives its name, and the fact that it hunts in small packs. (Canis cancrh an unclean, evil-smelling animal, addicted to biting and incapable of hiding its false and treacherous disposition," and he says that, when wounded, it does not fear to attack Man. Hunting Abilities However this may be, the multi- of the colored Beast of Prey remains a Hycena Dog. highly attractive creature. It must be a magnificent spectacle to see these beautiful, agile and loud-voiced animals hunting. A large, strong Antelope has been frightened by them ; it knows its pursuers and hurries through the grassy plain with all the speed its fleet legs can command. victim, and it is also said that they eat only the intestines of the killed game, leaving the rest for other animals of prey. They seem to eat very little of the muscular meat, for Burchell found a freshly killed Antelope, of which these Dogs had eaten only the inner parts, so he made use of the rest in his own kitchen. Usefulness of The Hyaena Dog is a wild animal which Tamed seems to promise a great deal if it only Hycena Dogs. Were tamed. It would make an excel- lent tracker, but an animal of such characteristics is not easily brought under subjection to the will of

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