Roulin's Tapir 389 



South America, who disphiy much skill in hunting and tracking these 

 animals. The usual plan is to hunt them with dogs from their forest 

 retreats into the water, where other members of the party await their 

 arrival in the concealment afforded by the rank vegetation on the bank of 

 the river or lagoon. In cases where the extent of water is not very large 

 the unfortunate animal is generally soon dispatched by the knives or clubs 

 of the hunters ; but when the lagoon is more extensive the tapir not 

 unfrequently succeeds in regaining covert, when the chase has to be 

 recommenced. Some tribes, on the other hand, track the animal to its 

 place of repose and dispatch it before it has time to awake and make 

 its escape. A large number of tapirs are likewise killed by the jaguar, 

 which appears to be particularly partial to the flesh of these animals. 



Many of the Indian tribes living on the borders of rivers and lakes 

 are in the habit of taming tapirs, which go about the villages much in 

 the same manner as domesticated swine in other parts of the world. 

 Whether, however, these tame tapirs breed in captivity does not appear to 

 be ascertained. They are tame enough to take food from the hands of 

 their masters, and become as omnivorous in their tastes as the domesticated 

 hog. 



This species of tapir is very generally represented in the menagerie of 

 the Zoological Society of London, where it thrives well. 



ROULIN'S TAPIR 



[Tapirus roulin'i) 



(Plate VIII. Fig. 4) 



In the Andes of Quito and other parts of Ecuador, as well as of 

 Colombia and Peru, the place of the common tapir is taken by the present 

 species, which is often known as the mountain tapir, while by the natives 



