Of the HYAENA, and the divers kinds thereof.
WE are now to discourse of a Beast whereof it is doubtful whether the names or the kinds * 1.1 thereof be more in number, and therefore to begin with the names, it seemeth to me in ge∣neral, that it is the same Beast which is spoken of in Holy Scripture, and called Zeeb-ereb, and Araboth, Zephan. 3. Principes urbis Hierosolymae velut Leones I••gientes, judices ejus similes sunt lupis Vesper∣〈…〉〈…〉is qui ossa non relinquunt ad diluculum: Their Princes are roaring Lions, and their Judges are like to night-wolves which leave not the bones till the morning, as it is vulgarly translated. In like sort Jer. 5. calleth them Zeeb-Araboath, Wolves of the wilderness, and the Prophet Habakkuk, Cap. 1. useth the word Zeeb-ereb, Wolves of the evening. By which it is made easie to consider and discusse what kinde of Beasts this Hyaena may be deemed; for the Hyaena, as I shall shew after∣ward, is a Greek word. And first of all I utterly seclude all their opinions, which translate this word Arabian Wolves, for the Hebrew notes cannot admit such a version or exposition: But seeing we read in Oppianus and Tzetzes, that there are kinds of Wolves which are called Harpages, more hungry then the residue, living in Mountains, very swift of foot, and in the Winter time, coming to the gates of Cities, and devouring both flesh and bones of every living creature they can lay hold on, especially Dogs and men, and in the morning go away again from their prey, I take them to be the same Beasts which the Grecians call Hyaenae, which is also the name of a Fish much like in na∣ture hereunto. It is also called Glanos, and by the Phrygians, and Bythinians, Ganos, and from one of these came the Illyrian or Sclavonian word San, and it seemeth that the Grecians have given it a name from Swine, because of the gristles growing on the back, for an Hyaena can have no better derivation then from Hus or Hyn. Julius Capitolinus calleth it Belbus in Latin, in the same place where he recordeth that there were decem Belbi sub Gordiano, ten Hyaenaes in the days of Gordianus: And the reason of this name is not improbably derived from Belba a City of Egypt. Pincianus a learned man calleth it Grab••hier, because it hunteth the Scpulchres of the dead. Albertus in stead of Hyaena, calleth it Iona. The Arabians call it Kabo, and Zabo, or Ziba and Azaro. I take it also to be the same Beast which * 1.2 is called Lacta, and Ana, and Zilio, because that which is reported of these, is true in the Hyaena; they frequent graves, having sharp teeth and long nails, being very fierce, living together in herds and flocks, and loving their own kinde most tenderly, but most pernicious and hateful to all o∣ther, being very crafty to set upon a fit prey, defending it self from the rage of stronger Beasts by their teeth and nails, or else by flight or running away. Wherefore we having thus expressed the name, we will handle the kinds, which I finde to be three, the first Hyaena, the second Papio or Dabu••, the third Crocuta, and Leucrocuta, whereunto by conjecture we may add a fourth, called Mantichora.