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CHAPTER XVIII. 



THE TAPIES {GENUS TAPIRUS). 



The quiet, inoffensive, and gentle-looking animals bearing this 

 name also belong to the family Pachydermata. At first sight they 

 might be, and in fact frequently are, mistaken for a species of hog 

 of large and powerful build. They are, however, a very distinct 

 race of animals, and form one of the links that unite the elephant 

 to the rhinoceros and pig family. They have a somewhat heavy 

 and bulky body, supported on legs of moderate length. Their 

 skin is very thick and tough, and is covered with short, fine hair. 

 They have four divisions or toes upon the fore-feet, and only three 

 upon the hind ones, each encased in a hoof. The tail is short, 

 being a mere tubercle. The neck is thick, muscular, and laterally 

 compressed ; it has a short mane of stiff bristles about an inch 

 and a half in length. The ears are short and pointed. The eyes 

 are small and deep set, but are very brilliant during the night. 



The most noticeable feature of the tapir is the elongated muzzle, 

 -which, by the prolongation of the nose, forms a short flexible pro- 

 boscis or modified trunk. In this respect the head resembles that 

 of no other known animal, for it is the only existing quadruped 

 that even in a limited extent has an organ that in any way can be 

 said to approach the elephant's trunk. 



Quoting the author of " Menageries :" " A peculiar mobility of 

 the upper lip, connected with a more or less marked development 

 of it, is seen in all the Pachydermata (the hyrax excepted, which 

 in many points closely resembles a rodent) ; but in none is this 

 development carried to such an extent as in the elephant : here 

 we find the nasal tubes continued to the extremity of a cylindrical 

 flexible organ termed proboscis. Next to the elephant, though still 



