16 THE TAPIER. 



in the night to graze, they often fall into these snares, and 

 very frequently receive wounds which cause their death. 

 The hunters, however, must be very careful in covering 

 the pits, as the animal will not readily go except where 

 there are prints of the feet of its own kind on this 

 account, the natives always keep a foot to mark the sand 

 which covers the pit. 



The female always comes upon land to bring forth, and 

 it is supposed that she seldom produces above one at a 

 time ; upon this occasion, these animals are particularly 

 timorous, and dread the approach of a land enemy ; the 

 instant the parent hears the slightest noise, it dashes into 

 the stream, and the young one is seen to follow with equal 

 alacrity. 



The young ones are said to be excellent eating ; but 

 the Negroes, to whom nothing that has life comes amiss, 

 find an equal delicacy in the old. Dr. Pocock has seen their 

 flesh sold in the shambles, like beef; and it is said, that 

 their breast, in particular, is as delicate eating as veal. 

 As for the rest, these animals are found in great numbers, 

 and as they can produce very fast, their flesh might supply 

 the countries where they are found, could those barbarous 

 regions produce more expert huntsmen. 



THE TAPIER. 



THIS animal bears a strong resemblance to the hippopo- 

 tamus-though it is much smaller. The nose of the male is 

 lengthened into a kind of proboscis. It is found in numbers 

 from the Isthumus of Darien to the river Amazons. 



THE BLACK BEAR OF AMERICA. 



THIS is a strong and powerful animal, covered with 

 black, smooth, glossy hair, and is very common in North 

 America. It is said to subsist wholly on vegetable food ; 

 but some of them which have been imported into England, 

 have shown a predeliction for flesh. They strike with 

 their fore feet like a cat, seldom use their tusks, but hug 

 their assailants in their paws so closely to their breast, 

 that they almost squeeze them to death. The females 



