186/.] DR. J. E. GRAY ON THE TAPIRID^. S79 



of the American species are very incorrectly drawn ; they are very 

 unhke, and both give a very false idea of the form of the nose. It 

 is to be observed they are some of Cuvier's earliest works, drawn 

 and etched by Cuvier himself, and certainly not to be compared with 

 those drawn and engraved by his humble but talented colleague M. 

 Laurillard. 



Blainville, in his ' Oste'ographie,' " Mammiferes Onguligrades," 

 figures : — the skeleton of l^ajnrtis indicus (t. 1 ), and the details of the 

 skull (t. 2), details of the members (t. 4), and of the dentition (t. 5) ; 

 the skull of Tapirus americanus (t. 3), details of the members (t. 4), 

 and of the dentition (t. 5) ; the skull of Tapirus pinchacus (t. 3), 

 and details of the dentition (t. 5). 



1. Tapirus. 



The Internasal cartilage ossified just at the hinder part under the 

 base of the nasal ; foramen maximum nearly circular. Occipital crest 

 narrow, high. Forehead small, narrow. Canines in the maxilla 

 just behind the intermaxillary suture. The hinder upper edges of 

 the intermaxillaries produced behind, and forming part of the upper 

 margin of the nasal aperture. 



Teeth 42 :-In.?^^ C.'^\. Pm. *E^. M. ?=f. Milk-molars 3^. 



Hab. South or Tropical America. 



Tapirus, Cuv. Oss. Foss. iv. p. 293 ; Owen, Odont. p. 604, t. 96. 

 f. 4, 5. 



Rhinochoeriis, part., Wagner, Syst. Amph. p. 19. 



These animals are generally brown, with white edges to the ears. 

 The hinder part of the back above the tail is generally more or less 

 destitute of hair. 



1. Tapirus terrestris. 



Fur short, dark brown, rather paler beneath. Skull with a high 

 regularly arched crest over the brain-case ; nasal bones over the 

 back of the orbits elongate, triangular, acute ; the front edge of the 

 cavity of the internal nostrils in a line with the hinder edge of the 

 sixth grinder in the adult series, or with the back edge of the last 

 well-developed grinder in the imperfect series of grinders ; the front 

 part of the nasal apertures contracted, and gradually tapering in 

 width towards the front end ; face rather elongated ; the space be- 

 tween the grinders and canines rather longer than the length of the 

 outer edge of the two true grinders ; the occipital end of the skull 

 triangular, arched above, higher than broad ; lower jaw with an 

 arched lower edge. 



Var. 1. The front edge of the cavity of the internal nostrils in a 

 line with the middle of the inner edge of the penultimate or sixth 

 grinder in the complete series. 



Var. 2. The space between the grinders and the canines larger. 



In other respects both these skulls are exactly like the normal skull 

 of T. terrestris. 



