THE TAPIR THE RACOON. 



439 



CHAPTER LXVm. 



THE TAPIR.* 



THERE seems to be a rude, but an infe- 

 rior resemblance, between many animals of 

 the old and the new world. The cougar of 

 America resembles the tiger in natural fero- 

 city, though far inferior in its dimensions. 

 The lama bears some affinity to the camel, 

 but is far behind it in strength and utility. 

 The tapir may be considered as the hippopo- 

 tamus of the new continent, but degraded 

 both as to its size and ferocity. 



This animal bears some distant resemblance 

 in its form to a mule. It has a long snout, 

 which it lengthens or contracts at pleasure. 

 Its ears are small, long, and pendent. Its 

 neck and tail are short, and its claws strong 

 and firm, of which it has four upon each foot. 



Its skin is thick, and covered with brown hair; 

 and the natives make shields of it, which can- 

 not be pierced by an arrow. 



This animal may, in some measure, be 

 termed amphibious, as it chiefly resides in 

 the water. It differs, however, from all 

 others of this kind, in feeding entirely upon 

 vegetables, and not making this element 

 the place of its depredations. It feeds 

 upon the pastures by the river-side, and 

 as it is very timorous, the instant it hears 

 the least noise, it plunges into the stream. 

 They are greatly sought after by the na- 

 tives, as their flesh is considered as a de- 

 licacy, and thought by some not inferior 

 to beef. 



CHAPTER LXIX. 



THE RACOON. 



THE Racoon, which some authors have 

 called the Jamaica rat, is about the size of 

 a small badger; its body is short and bulky; 

 its fur is fine, long, and thick, blackish at the 

 surface, and gray towards the bottom ; the 

 nose is rather shorter, and more pointed, than 

 that of the fox ; the eyes large and yellow ; 

 the teeth resembling those of a dog; the tail 

 thick, but tapering towards a point, regular- 

 ly marked with rings of black, and at least as 

 long as the body; the fore feet are much 

 shorter than the hinder, both armed with five 



* The Tapir has ten front teeth in both jaws: the canine 

 teeth are single in each jaw, and are bent inwards : there 

 are five very broad grinders on each side in both jaws : 

 the feet have three hoofs ; but on the fore feet is an ad- 

 ditional false or supplementary hoof. Its general attitude, 

 when .it rest, is sitting on its rump. It sleeps much by 

 .day, and when attacked by dogs makes a vigorous resist- 



sharp claws, with which, and his teeth, the 

 animal makes a vigorous resistance. Like 

 the squirrel, it makes use of its paws to hold 

 its food while eating, but it differs from the 

 monkey kind, which use but one hand on 

 those occasions, whereas the racoon and the 

 squirrel use both; as, wanting the thumb, 

 their paws singly are unfit for grasping or 

 holding. Though this animal be short and 

 bulky, it is however very active; its pointed 

 claws enable it to climb trees with great fa- 

 cility; it runs on the trunk with the same 



ance. Its voice is a kind of whistle, so easily imitated, 

 that in this manner it is frequently trepanned. It pro- 

 duces but one young at a birth, of which it is very careful, 

 leading it early to the water, to instruct it in swimming. 

 It is gregarious, feeds by night on vegetables, and doe* 

 not ruminate, as Mr. Bajon affirms. 



