NO. 5 MAMMAI^S OF PANAMA— €011>MAIf 8l 



Gentu TAPIBELLA Palmer. Tapirs 



7 he j^cnus Tapirella ranj^es in the tropical parts of Middle America 

 from eastern Panama northward to southern Mexico. Generic dis- 

 tinction is found in the difFerinj^ arranj^cmcnt of the bony j>art» 

 suj4^orting the proboscig, as compared with the other genera of the 

 family. The nasals are flat, triangular bones without the «>tout 

 dev:cnding processes which in Tapirus of South America meet and 

 overlap the maxillae; the nv^r.iWx are deveU^^d upward in thin 

 vertical plates which embrace an anterior ossified extension of the 

 mesethmoid, absent in Tafwrus and in the Asiatic member of the 

 group, Acrocodia. 



TAPIRELLA BAIBDH (Oill) 



Eiird'', Tipir; I>»anta 



Elatmognathut bairdii Gtix, I'rryi. Acad. Kat *^'.) , V}Ah'if.%hh, i^', p. 183- 

 Type from Ittbmus of Panama. 



Eaird's tapir 1% ^till a rather rrjmm^/n :.:.:rriSi]. .:. i).': for''.'-, o: the 



Canal Zone and of the rq>ublic in gerjeral ; and it ranges from he^i 



-vcl to at least 5,000 feet altitude on the mountains. The species 



was described from the " Isthmus of Panama " and specimens from 



the Ginal Zone are, therefore, typical. 



Dampier's (1698, Vol. 2, p. 102) early account of the habits of 

 the anin-jal, v,hi'^;h he never saw himself, seems to refer in part to 

 Baird's tapir in Panama. He says : " This Creature is always found 

 in the Woods near some large River ; and feeds on a sort of long thin 

 Grass, or Moss, which grows plentifully on the Banks of Rivers ; but 

 never feeds in Savannahs, or Pastures of good Grass, as all other 

 ^ullocks do. When her Belly is full, she li« down to sleep by the 

 Brink of the River; and at the least Noise slips into the Water; 

 where sinking down to the Bottom, tho' very deep, she walks as on 

 dry Ground. She cannot run fast, therefore never rambles far from 

 tfje River ; for there she always takes Sanctuar)', in case of danger. 

 There is no shooting of ha- but when she is adeq>. They are found, 

 besides this place [Campedie], in the Rivers in the Bay of Honduras ; 

 and cm all the Main from thence as high as the River of Darien. 

 Several of my Consorts have kill'd them there, and knew thdr 

 . rack, which I mysdf saw in the Isthmus of Darien; but should not 

 have known it, but as I was told by them. For I never did see one, 

 nor the Track of any bat once." 



The occurrence of the tapir in the Canal Zoat was noted by Maack 

 (1874, p. 171) who records it as living apeaaSly in the lowlands 



