The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-03-11
Tho HycnR Dog.

Just us tho Aard wolf appears to form
the link between the ctvets and the hvnnas.
being with some difficulty referred to either
group Of animals, 80 the hunting dog seems
to be the connecting link between the dogs
and hy@nas. Its position, however, in the
scale OF animated nature is SO very obscure
that it has been placed by some biologists
among the dogs and by others among the
hyUnas. AS however,, the leading charac-
terisLic of its formation appears to tend
rather toward the canine than the hypnine
type, the bunting dog has been provision
ally placed at the end of the dogs rather
than at the end of the hyDnas In its gen
eral aspect there is much of tho hy,nnino
character. and the creature has often been
mistaken for hyDna, and described under
that name. There is, however, less Of the
hy@nine type than is seen in the Aard wolf,
for the peculiar ridge Of hair that decora.cs
the neck of the hymna is, absent in the
hunting dog, and the hinder quarters arc
marked by that strange sloping form which
is so characteristic Of the hynna and The
Aard wolf itself 1.-The teeth are almost
precisely like those of the dogs, with the
exception Of slight difference in the false
molars, and therefore are quite distinct
from those of the hy@nas. But the feet a,e
only furnished with four toes instead OF
five, Which is a characteristic of the hymnas.
and not of the dogs. Several other remark
able points Of structure are found i'm this
curious animal, some Of them tending to
give it position among the dogs, and 9TH
crs nppenrin" to refer il to the hvmnas.
The general color Of the hunting dog is a
reddish or ycllowsh brown, marked at wide
intervals with large patches of black and
white. The nose and muZzlc are black,
and the central line of the head is marked
with a wcll-dcfiHed black stripe, which
reaches to tho bucll Of the head. The cars
arc extremely large, and are covered on both
their faces with rather short black hairs.
From their inside edge rises a large tuft of
long white hair, which spreads over and
nearly fills the cavity of the car. The tail
is covered with long brshy hair, which IS
for the greater part Of a grayish- white hue,
but is strongly tingcd with black near it's
insertion. In nearly all specimens there is a
wlntish patch below each eye. These tints
are somewhat variable in different individ-
uals, but preserve the same general aspect
in all. There arc many names by which
this animal has been called; in the writings
or some authors it is mentioned under the
title of the painted hypna, while by others
IL Is leriucd Tile nyDna dOS. Tho Dutch
colonists of the Cape of Good Hope, where
this creature is generally found, speak of it
by the name of wilde hund, Or wild dog;
and it is also known under the names of
simir and mclbia. Its title of hunting dog
is earned Icy its habits of pursuing game by
fair chase, and uniting in packs of consid-
cradle numbers for that purpose. AS is the
case with the generality Of prcdaceous ami
mails, it prefers the night for its season of
attack, but will frequently undertake
chase in broad daylight. For the purpose
OF tho chase it is well fitted, as it is gifted,
with long and agile limbs and with great
endurance of fatigue