ZOOLOGY. 41 



habits, and does not willingly attack except in self defence ; 

 an instance is on record of one that was waatonly attacked 

 by some persons in a boat, who wounded the animal, which 

 irritated it so much, that with its enormous teeth it tore off 

 one end of the boat, and killed one or two of the party. 

 According to Le Vaillant the flesh is palatable, the feet in 

 particular are quite a delicacy ; the native inhabitants of 

 Africa greedily devour the whole animal excepting the skin j 

 ■which is used for girdles and other purposes. 



3. Tapir. Front teeth in each jaw ten ; tusks single, in* 

 curvate ; grinders five on each side of both jaws, very 

 broad ; hoofs ou the fore-feet four, on the the hind- 

 feet three. 



This is the largest of the native quadrupeds yet discovered 

 in the New Continent, it inhabits thick woods in the vicinity 

 of marshy ground, and also many of the extensive swamps 

 so common in America; its food consists of fruits, roots, 

 grass, sugar canes, and also lizards and other reptiles ; 

 like the River-Horse it swims, and walks with ease and 

 facility beneath the water ; it roams abroatl during the night, 

 but is shy and timid j it is mostly met with in considerabla 

 herdst 



4. Bus. Hog. Upper front teeth four, convergent ; lower 

 usually six, prominent ; upper tusks two, short, lower 

 two longer, projecting ; snout prominent, truncate, 

 moveable ; feet mostly cloven. 



In their wild state, this genus are mostly of sullen and 

 morose habits, some of the kinds feed on almost every 



