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THE DUDA-AYER, OR MALAYAN TAPIR. 



The color of the adult Tapir is a uniform brown, hut the young is beautifully varie- 

 gated with yellowish-fawn spots and stripes upon a rich brown-black ground, reminding 

 the observer of the peculiar tinting of the Hood's marmot. The neck is adorned with 

 a short and erect black mane. The Tapir can easily be brought under the subjection of 

 man, and is readily tamed, becoming unpleasantly familiar with those persons whom it 

 knows, and taking all kinds of liberties with them, which would be well enough in a 

 little dog or a kitten, but are quite out of place with an animal as large as a donkey. 



THE second species of Tapir is found in Malacca and Sumatra, and is a most con- 

 spicuous animal, in consequence of the broad band of white that encircles it body, and 

 which at a little distance gives it the aspect of being muffled up in a white sheet. 



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KUDA-AYER, OR MALAYAN TAPIR. Tap/rus Malayaaus. 



The ground color of the adult Malayan Tapir is a deep sooty-black, contrasting most 

 strongly with the grayish-white of the back and flanks. The young animal is as 

 beautifully variegated as that of the preceding species, being striped and spotted with 

 yellow fawn upon the upper parts of the body, and with white below. There is no 

 mane upon the neck of the Malayan Tapir, and the proboscis is even longer in pro- 

 portion. In size it rather exceeds the preceding animal. In many of its habits the 

 Malayan animal is exactly similar to the species which inhabits America, but it is said 

 that although the Kuda-Ayer is very fond of the water, it does not attempt to swim, 

 but contents itself with walking on the bed of the stream. Although a sufficiently 

 common animal in its native country, it is but seldom seen, owing to its extremely shy 

 habits, and its custom of concealing itself in the thickest underwood. 



The hide of the Tapir is employed by the natives for several useful purposes, but the 

 flesh is dry, tasteless, and not worth the trouble of cooking. The term Kuda-Ayer is 

 a Malayan word, signifying " river-horse," and it is also known by the name of Tennu, 



