THE TAPIRS 



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flood of light on this remarkable instance of what is known as discontinuous distri- 

 bution is, however, thrown by palaeontology, remains of extinct tapirs having been 

 discovered in the middle and upper Tertiary rocks of Europe (including those of 

 England) and China, while nearly-allied or identical forms occur in those of the 

 United States. Such remains are also found in the cavern deposits of Brazil, which 

 belong to the later Pleistocene epoch. Since these extinct forms belong to the ex- 

 isting genus, tapirs may be regarded as among the oldest of living Mammals. It 



THK MALAYAN TAPIR. 



(One-eighteenth natural size.) 



was considered by Mr. Wallace that the Old World was the original home of the 

 group, from whence they migrated to North America; but subsequent discoveries 

 have rendered this doubtful. Probably, however, they are but comparatively- 

 recent immigrants into Central and South America. And it is interesting to notice, 

 as Mr. Wallace observes, that while in the Old World, where they were once so 

 abundant, they have dwindled down to a single species, existing in small numbers 

 in the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo only, in the western continent they 

 occupy a much larger area, and are represented by several distinct species. With 



