smell; it is a ve ry cunning animal, and its name is applied metaphorically to signify craft, which it possesses in a greater degree than any other anima l; this circumstance alone seems to a lly it to the fox species. It is v e ry fond o f p o u lt r y ; and at night, a little after dark, the still air o f the country is p ierced with its cries, which alternately resemble those o f children, and that o f the fox. T h e y assemble in numbers, and abound throughout the country, particularly in the environs o f plantations o f melons and other vinous plants. Some o f these deebs have longer hair than others, and their skins are particularly soft and handsome. T he provinces o f Shedma, Haha, and Suse abound w ith this an im a l: the Arabs hunt it, and bring the skins for sale to the Mogodor market. The (Dubbah) Hytena.— T h e JDubbah, a term which designates the hyaena among the Arabs, is an animal o f a ferocious countenance; but in its disposition, more stupid than fierce ; it is found in all the mountains o f B arbary, and wherever rocks and caverns are seen ; this extraordinary animal has the opposite qua lity o f the deeb,* having a vague and stupid stare, insomuch that a heav y d u ll person is designated by the term dubbah + T h e flesh o f this animal is not eaten, except in cases o f extreme h u n g e r : those, however, who have tasted it assert, that it causes stupefaction for a certain tim e ; hence, when a * The dubbah and the deeb are so totally different, that I cannot account for the error of Bruce in saying they are the same animal; for, besides various other differences, the dubbah is more than twice as large as the deeb. It is surprising that Mr. Bruce, who appears to have been a great sportsman, did not perceive this. Vide Select.Passages of Natural History collected in Travels to discover the Source of the Nile. Title Hysena, Vol V. p. n o . f M’dubbah, stupified or hyaenaized, from the word dubbah. person displays extraordinary stupidity, the Arabs say {hula ras Dubbah), he has eaten the head o f a hyasna. T h e mode o f hunting this animal is s in g u la r ; a party o f ten or twe lve persons, accompanied with as many dogs o f various kinds, go to the cavern which they have previously ascertained to be the haunt o f the hyaena; one o f the party then strips himself, and taking the end o f a rope with a noose to it in one hand, lie advances gradually into the cave, speaking gently, and in an insinuating, tone o f voice, pretending to fascinate the liyasna b y words ; when he reaches the animal, he strokes him down the back, which appears to soothe him ; he then dexterously slips the noose round his neck, and instantly pulling the rope to indicate to those on the outside o f the cave, who hold the other end, that it is fixed, he retires behind, throwing a handkerchief or cloth ove r the eyes o f the hyaena; the men then pull the rope from without, whilst he who fixes the noose urges the animal forward, when the dogs attack him. Some of the Shelluhs are v e r y expert at securing the hyaena in this manner, and although there may be some danger in case the rope breaks, y e t the man who enters the ca ve always carries a dagger, or large knife with him, with which he has considerably the advantage, for this animal is b y no means so ferocious as he appears to be : in the southern A tla s I have seen them led about by the b o y s ; a rope being fastened round the animal’s neck, and a communicating rope attached to it on either side, three or four yards long, the end o f each being held b y a b o y , keep him perfectly secure. It is confinement that is inimical to a hysena,* and which increases his ferocity. The re fire other * B r u c e , in speaking of this animal, observes that most of the animals confounded with him, are about six times smaller than he is. The want of a critical
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