178 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Description of the tapiir. 



Berg River to the Niger,, several miles north of 

 the Cape of Good Hope. They formerly abound- 

 ed in the rivers nearer the Cape, but are now 

 almost extirpated there. 



THE LONG-NOSED TAPIIR 



SEEMS to be the hippopotamus of the new 

 world, and has been sometimes mistaken for that 

 quadruped. It is about the size of a small cow, 

 with a body formed like that of a hog, and its 

 hide of a dusky brown colour. Its nose is long 

 and slender, and extends far beyond the lower 

 jaw, forming a sort of proboscis, which it can 

 contract or extend at pleasure. Its ears are 

 small and erect ; its legs short and thick ; and its 

 tail very small. 



The disposition of this animal is perfectly 

 mild and inoffensive, and it appears to possess a 

 considerable degree of timidity, as it invariably 

 flies from every appearance of danger. It is a 

 solitary animal ; sleeping during the day, and 

 going out at night in quest of its food, which 

 consists of grass, sugar-canes, fruits, &c. When 

 disturbed it takes to the water, where it swims 

 with great facility, or plunges to the bottom, 

 and, like the hippopotamus, walks there as on 

 dry ground. 



