yiGS Natural Histot-y in foreign Countries : — 



The head differs from that of the common species of South 

 America, not only in its general outline, but in its details : 

 the muzzle varies a little in its form, and the proboscis does not 

 present upon its sides those ridges which indicate a habitual 

 contraction of that organ. On the chin is situated a white 

 patch, which is prolonged from the angle of the mouth, and 

 includes nearly half the upper lip. The ear is deficient of the 

 white margin ; and the remarkable erect crest, which in the 

 ordinary American species commences above the eyes, and is 

 continued, like a hogged mane, along the ridge of the neck to 

 the withers, is also wanting ; the neck being perfectly round, 

 and the hair with which it is covered of the same length as, 

 and lying in a direction similar to, that of the rest of the 

 animal. On each side of the crupper is situated a large naked, 

 but not callous, spot, about twice the size of the palm of the 

 hand. Above the division of the toes the fetlock is margined 

 with a narrow white band, as in the common American tapir. 

 On this species its describer has bestowed the name of Tapir 

 Pinchaque ; thus identifying it with the traditionary histories 

 of the natives of its habitat ; and, under that denomination, 

 Cuvier has given it a place in the new edition of the Regne 

 Animal : but neither that able systematist, nor its discoverer, 

 has furnished it with a Latin specific appellation. It appears 

 that the tapir of the mountains does not possess all the habits of 

 that of the plains, which is strictly a nocturnal animal, sleep- 

 ing during the entire day, and feeding only in the night ; as 

 those killed at Suma Paz were eating at six o'clock a. m., 

 when approached by the hunters ; and, on the road to Quin- 

 diu, others have been observed employed in a similar manner, 

 even at nine o'clock. The hunters reported that they principally 

 subsisted upon chusque (a species of bamboo, which grows at a 

 great height), and that they also eat fraylajou (Espelet/<2), a 

 plant which common cattle, horses, mules, asses, and even the 

 deer which inhabit the mountain, refuse to touch, on account 

 of the quantity of resin which it contains. This tapir is 

 extremely greedy, and by no means delicate in its taste ; those 

 kept in the menageries will devour almost every thing : and 

 this is not from depravity of appetite, produced by captivity; 

 for, when killed in a wild state, their stomachs are found to 

 contain pieces of wood, clay, small pebbles, and occasionally 

 even bones. By the hunters the two species are confounded 

 under the general appellation of danta^ which, as it is observed 

 by M. Roulin, is somewhat singular, since persons of their 

 class are usually very accurate in their distinctions between 

 the species and varieties of such animals as they are in the 

 constant habit of pursuing; and in this instance it is particu- 



