572 CHORDATA. 
Family I.—Tapiridae.—These interesting animals, the tapirs, are 
found in swampy forest districts of Brazil and of Malay. Hence 
they form an instance of discontinuous distribution of a family. They 
form the base of the present-day Perdssodactyla as they have } toes and 
the teeth are bilophodont and brachydont. The upper molars show.an 
external ridge connecting the two transverse ridges, thus approaching 
the rhinoceroses; the incisors are of average length and the third 
lower one resembles a canine. The dental formula is $443. There is 
a very slight proboscis or trunk. They feed upon the leaves and young 
shoots of trees. 
Fig. 389.—Tue AMERICAN Tapir (Zapirus Americanis). 
(From Fiower and LyDDEKER.) 
Tapirs occur in Europe and Asia in the Miocene strata, thus explain- 
ing the discontinuous distribution in this instance by a dying-out of the 
intermediate portions of a once widely and continuously distributed form. 
Family 1I.—Rhinocerotidz.—The rhinoceroses form a transition 
family between the tapirs and horses. They are found in forest regions 
of the Ethiopian and Oriental regions. They can move rapidly on fairly 
hard ground and have three toes and hoofs on each foot. The teeth 
are slightly more complex than the typical bilophodont. The two 
transverse ridges are curved backwards, forming crescentoid ridges, 
whilst they are connected externally by a longitudinal ridge. The 
