384 Game of Europe, W. & N. Asia & America 



hoofed aiiiniLils than is tlie case with any of their living kindred. That 

 they are an extremely ancient group is testified hy their very remarkahle 

 geographical distribution, one species, the Malay tapir,' heing found in 

 the Malay Peninsula and adjacent territories, while the other tour existing 

 representatives of the group are restricted to Central and South America. 

 These animals are, however, comparatively modern immigrants into South 

 America (as is proved by the absence of fossil remains ot tapirs in the 

 Tertiary deposits of Patagonia) from the north, and in former times were 

 widely spread over Europe and Asia, where there were numerous species 

 now extinct. It is evident, therefore, that the Malay and South American 

 tapirs are the survivors of an ancient and once widely spread group of 

 ungulates which has disappeared from the rest ot the globe. 



But it is time to say something with regard to the general appearance 

 and leading characteristics of these very old-tashioned animals, all ot which 

 are as much alike in external form as they are in anatomical structure. 

 Tapirs, then, are somewhat heavily built and thick-set animals, with short 

 and stout limbs, moderate-sized, pointed ears, an elongated and trunk-like 

 muzzle, and a very short tail. Their toes are protected by hoofs, ot which 

 there are four on the front feet, but only three to each of the hind limbs. 

 Instead, however, of the four front toes forming a central symmetrical pair 

 flanked by a smaller but likewise symmetrical lateral pair, the hoof corre- 

 sponding to the nail of the middle human finger is larger than either of the 

 others and symmetrical in itself On either side ot this are the hoots 

 corresponding to the nails of the index and ring fingers ot man, which are 

 symmetrical to one another, while the hoot corresponding to the nail ot the 

 little finger is unsymmetrical and has nothing to balance it on the opposite 

 side of the foot. In the hind-foot, where there are only three hoots, there 

 is a perfect symmetry, the large central hoof being symmetrical in itself, 

 while the smaller lateral pair are symmetrical to one another. It is this 



' Sec the companion volume, Great and Small Game of India, etc. 



