TAPIEIBiE. 235 



are sometimes much longer than such as are usually met with, and he sus- 

 pects that B. crossit, Gray, is this species. 



Africa possesses four or five species of rhinoceros, all of them double- 

 homed, and without incisors. 



The curious genus, Hyeax, is usually placed near the rhinoceros family. 

 It forms the family Hyracidce, and the tribe Lamnunguia, Wagner. They 

 are animals of small size, about that of a rabbit, and have quite similar 

 molars to the rhinoceroses ; the upper jaw has two stout incisors curved 

 downwards, and during youth two very small canines ; the lower jaw has 

 four incisors and no canines. The fore-feet have 4 toes ; the hind-feet 3, 

 all furnished with flat hoof-like nails ; they have no tail, have a short muz- 

 zle, and they are covered by hair. Several species are known from Africa, 

 and one from Arabia and Palestine, supposed to be the coney of our 

 version of the Scriptures, Hyrax syriacus. It was considered by the Jews 

 one of the animals that chew the cud. 



The Tapirs, Tapiridjj!, have six incisors and two canines in each jaw, 

 separated from the molars by a wide interval. The fore-feet have 4 toes, 

 and the hind-feet 3. The snout is prolonged into a short fleshy trunk, and 

 the skin is covered with short close hair. The tail is very short, and the 

 ears are small and upright. They are animals not unlike pigs in their 

 general form ; frequent damp forests, and are fond of the water. 



One species is found in the Malayan peninsula and islands, Tapirus 

 malayanus, and it has been killed in Southern Tenasserim. The only 

 other two species are inhabitants of South America, Tapirus americanus, 

 and T. villosus, of the Andes. 



The remarkable fossil genus, Dinotherium, was at first described as a 

 tapir. It is now considered to have been an aquatic animal, like the 

 dugongs ; and this would perhaps be the best place to intercalate the 

 family of Sirenia, or herbivorous Cetacea, but I will describe them at the 

 end of the next tribe. 



Fam. Bquid^, Horses. 



Syn. Solidungula and Solipedes, Auct. 



T • 6 . 1—1 , 6—6 7—7 



Incisors — ; canmes j— j ; molars ^-^ or g— ^. The two anterior 



toes are soldered together, forming a single perfect toe, covered by a 

 broad undivided hoof. 



The molars are complex, with square crowns marked by laminas of 



