THE MALAY TAPIR. 247 



and beautifully marked with spots and stripes, of 

 a fawn colour above, and white below ; after that 

 period it began to change the colour, the spots 

 disappeared, and at the age of six months it had 

 become of the usual colour of the adult." It was 

 of a very mild and gentle disposition, tame and 

 familiar as a dog, fed indiscriminately an all sorts 

 of vegetables, and was very fond to attend at 

 table, to secure bread, cakes, and the like. Sir 

 Stamford Raffles' living specimen was occasionally 

 allowed to roam in the park at Barrackpore, and 

 it frequently entered the ponds, and appeared to 

 walk on the bottom under water, and not to make 

 any attempt to swim. 



The Malay Tapir is from six to eight feet in 

 length, and from three to three feet and a half 

 in height at the shoulders. The manners, so far 

 as known, are similar to those of the American 

 Tapir. It inhabits the forests of the Malay 

 Peninsula, and some of the Indian islands, leading 

 an equally inoffensive life, and receiving ample 

 sustenance from the vegetable productions of these 

 luxurious regions. The flesh, though eaten by 

 the Indian with relish, does not seem to cause it 

 to be so much hunted as the American beast, and 

 we are rather surprised that an animal of such 

 bulk and singular markings remained so long 

 unknown, and now remains so much unnoticed 

 with regard to its habits* 



