FAUNA AMERICANA. 223 



Incisors in both jaws opposing after the man- 

 ner of forceps ; the intermediate short, cuneiform, 

 truncated, the lateral nearly in form of canine. 



Canines of moderate size, conical, crossing like 

 those of carnivorous animals, an intermediate 

 space between them and the molars. 



Molars square, having the crowns marked with 

 two transverse eminences. 



Nose prolonged into a moveable trunk, rather 

 short, and not prehensile like that of the elephant. 



Eyes small ; ears long and moveable. 



Anterior extremities provided with four toes, 

 with short and rounded hoofs ; the posterior with 

 three toes only ; tail very short. 



Two inguinal mammae, those of the male placed 

 on the sheath ; skin hard, covered with hair. 



Habit. Similar to that of the hog. 



Inhabit South America, Mexico, the peninsula 

 of Malacca, the isle of Sumatra. 



ft The bones of a fossil Tapir, of the size of the ^ 

 largest elephants, have been discovered in seve- ^M 

 ral localities on the continent of Europe, and ^ 

 are accurately described by M. G. Cuvier, (Re- 

 cherches sur les Ossem. Foss. 1 edit. tom. 2. 

 chap. 8.) 



Hitherto fossil bones of this animal have not 

 been discovered on the continent of America, 

 but among other fossils lately received from the 

 state of Kentucky, (and for which we owe many 

 obligations to Major Long, a gentleman whose 



