462 UNGULATES. 



sportsmen, yet they are much sought after by the native South- American hunters 

 for the sake of their flesh and hide. The flesh is said to be juicy and well- 

 flavoured, and both in appearance and taste resembles beef. The skin, which is of 

 great thickness and strength, is cut into long thongs, which, after being rounded 

 and treated with fat, are used for reins and bridles. It is, however, unsuited for 

 shoe-leather, as it becomes very hard and unyielding when dry, and very soft and 

 spongy when wetted. The hairs, hoofs, and certain other parts are used by the 

 natives as medicine ; the hoofs being sometimes hung round the neck as charms, 

 and in other cases ground to powder and taken internally. 



In South America tapirs are generally hunted with the aid of dogs, which 

 chase the animals through the forest until they enter the water. Here they are 

 attacked by the hunters, who have lain concealed among the reeds on the river 

 bank, and by them they are pursued as they dive and swim in the water. When 

 the area of water is not too large, the chase is frequently of no great duration, and 

 the animal is before long despatched either with a club or a hunting-knife. Some- 

 times, however, the hunt is more protracted, the tapir leaving the water and 

 breaking away from the dogs among the dense reeds or bushes, until again brought 

 to bay in another pool or river. The traveller Schomburgk gives a graphic account 

 of a tapir hunt he once witnessed when in South America. As his vessel rounded 

 a headland on the river, a female tapir with her young came into view standing on 

 a sandbank. Scarcely, however, had his Indians time to utter the word " Maipuri " 

 (the native name of the common species), than the two animals caught sight of the 

 party, and dashed into the thick cover on the bank. This cover was in the form 

 of giant reeds and grass, with sharp-cutting edges, some seven feet in height, 

 which offered a formidable obstacle to the progress of Europeans. The Indians, 

 however, wriggled their way between the stems like snakes ; and soon two shots 

 in quick succession, followed by a shout of triumph, told that they had come up 

 with their quarry. When Schomburgk reached the scene, he passed the female 

 tapir lying dead with a bullet through the lungs. The dogs then took up the trail 

 of the young one, which was concealed among the reeds. As soon as the creature 

 perceived that it was discovered by the dogs, it uttered the peculiar whistling 

 cry, mentioned above, by which the hunters were guided to its place of con- 

 cealment. Eventually the young tapir, which was about the size of an ordinary 

 full-grown pig, broke cover, and after an exciting although short chase was 

 despatched. 



In some parts the South American Indians track the tapir to its lair, and 

 shoot it as it lies. In Paraguay, when the hunters capture a young tapir of too 

 large a size to be carried on a horse in front of the rider, they bore a hole in one 

 side of the snout through which they pass a thong, and the animal will then follow 

 readily enough when led. 



Next to man, the worst foes of the tapir are the larger cats ; the 

 jaguar preying largely on the American species (as depicted in the 

 coloured Plate in the first volume), and the tiger attacking its Malayan cousin. 

 It is said that when an American tapir is attacked by a jaguar, it immediately 

 rushes into the thickest cover in the hope of dislodging its assailant, which from 

 the thickness of the animal's hide is unable to obtain a firm hold on its back. 



