THE TAPIR. 1S7 



It is remarkable, by the way, how completely some* 

 of our largest animals can hide themselves, owing to 

 their capacity of resembling surrounding objects. 

 Take, for example, the elephant, the giraffe, and the 

 buffalo. The elephant, although standing some ten 

 feet in height, and weighing many tons, can conceal 

 himself so effectually in a forest, that a hunter may be 

 near enough to touch him with a stick, and yet not 

 even catch a glimpse of his vast form. Not only that, 

 but the hunter may be among a herd of elephants, 

 and never be able to see one of them sufficiently for 

 a shot. 



Then there is the giraffe. Any one would have 

 thought that so conspicuous an animal as this, which 

 rears its lofty head some eighteen feet from the 

 ground, must be visible at a great distance ; yet, 

 when it is among the trees upon which it feeds, it 

 bears so close a resemblance to them, that not only 

 white hunters, but even the natives, have failed to 

 distinguish them; and have sometimes been so com- 

 pletely deceived as to mistake the trees for giraffes. 



As to the buffalo, whether it be the long-horned 

 arnee of India, or the thick-fronted buffalo of Southern 

 Africa, it has a way of concealing itself so that ib is 

 quite unseen, and then rushing out angrily at the 

 traveller who happens to disturb it. 



1 have already alluded to the size and weight of 

 the Tapir. Now, as the animal only averages some 

 four feet in height at the shoulder, it may scarcely 

 seem entitled to be called a large one. But it is very 

 heavily and stoutly made, the body is thick, and the 

 legs are short, so that it is far more bulky than it 



