THE T A P I R. 247 



broad in the night only, and delights in the wa- 

 ter, where he dwells oftener than on the land. 

 He lives in the marines, and never wanders to 

 any great diftance from the margins of rivers 

 and lakes, When alarmed, purfued, or wounded, 

 he plunges into the water *, remains long un- 

 der it, and pafTes over a coniiderable fpace be- 

 fore he makes his appearance. Thefe habits, 

 which he poflefles in common with the hippopo- 

 tamus, have induced fome naturalifls 10 fuppofe 

 that he belongs to the fame ipecies f. But thefe 

 animals are as remote from each other in their 

 natures, as the countries they inhabit. To be 

 afcertained of this fa£t, we have only to com- 

 pare the above defcriptions with that we have 

 given of the hippopotamus. Though both in- 

 habit the water, the tapir does not feed upon 

 fifhes ; and, though his mouth is armed with 



twenty 



bufinefs. Thefe animals are hunted in their retreats, where 

 they aflemble fpontaneoufly in flocks $ and, as foon as 

 they approach, the hunters run up to them with burning 

 torches, with which they are fo dazzled and confounded, 

 that they overturn one another, &c. ; Hi/?, du Paragua't, par le P. 



Charlevoix, torn. i. p. 3$. The antas conceal themfelves du« 



ring the day in their dens, and come out in the night to feed j 

 Defer ipt. des Indes Occident ales, par Herrera, p. 25 1 . 



* The manipouri is a kind of wild mule. We (hot at one, 

 but did not kill him. Unlefs the ball or arrow pierce his 

 flanks, he generally efcapes, particularly when water is near £ 

 for he inftantly plunges into it, and quickly gains the opjJofite 

 bank ; Lettres edifiantes, recueil 24. Lettre du P. Faucbe. 



f Hippopotamus amphibius pedibus quadrilcbis ; habitat 

 in Nilo. — Hippopotamus terreftris pedibus pofticis trifulcis, 

 Tapiierete habitat in Brafilia j Linn.fyfi. fiat. p. 74, 



