THE MALAY TAPIR 1 49 



Gardens in 1892, had the general colour of 

 the adult, though spots were still visible on 

 the legs. 



The Malay tapir was first met with by Whalfeldt 

 (not to be confused with WhaUer^; sl much later 

 traveller in Africa) in 1772. He observed it to the 

 south of the Cawoor river in Sumatra when engaged 

 in surveying the coast. Although he mistook it for 

 a hippopotamus, the sketch which he transmitted to 

 the Government of Fort Marlborough showed it 

 to have been a tapir. Nothing more was heard of 

 the mysterious animal till 1805, when a small 

 individual was brought from Oueda to Penang for 

 Sir George Leith, then Governor. Unfortunately 

 the animal died during Sir George's absence, and 

 the stupid servants threw the body into the sea. 

 Some years later Major Farquhar, the discoverer of 

 the binturong or bear-cat, began to collect informa- 

 tion concerning the Malay tapir, and obtained a very 

 young one which used to go tame about the house. 

 In 1 8 16 Farquhar communicated a description of 

 the new species, together with a drawing, to the 

 Asiatic Society of Bengal. Two years later the 

 Museum of the Asiatic Society at Calcutta contained 

 a tapir's head from Malacca. The French naturalist 

 Diard figured a young specimen which had been 

 sent alive from Bencoolen to the menagerie at 

 Barrackpoor ; this drawing being published by 

 Cuvier in 18 19. Sir Stamford Raffles sent home 



