310 WILD ANIMALS. 



at a considerable distance, comes the tapir. In these animals ^ 

 find the proboscis short but flexible, and capable of considerab 

 extension ; as in the case of the elephant, the tapir uses it as a 

 organ of prehension, but by no means to so great an extent; no 

 as in that gigantic beast, is it employed as an organ of suction, c 

 as a pump. The muscular fasciculi, however, with which it : 

 formed are similar to those composing the proboscis of the eh 

 phant, and there are also strong levator muscles, rendering th: 

 elongated snout well adapted for the purpose of searching in th 

 ground for roots. The proboscis of the elephant, depending froi 

 an elevated forehead, gives a grave and even imposing air to th 

 animal's physiognomy. The flexible snout of the tapir, on th 

 contrary, terminating a head shaped much like that of a hog, bu 

 more compressed, and elevated into a ridge above, produces n 

 such impression ; it is neither terrific as a weapon, nor does it Si 

 well fulfil the place of a hand and arm. Yet it is extremely use 

 ful as an organ of prehension, by means of which the anima 

 assists itself in the procuring and appropriation of its food." 



When full grown, tapirs generally stand about four feet i] 

 height, and measure about six in length, their weight being near!; 

 equal to that of a small bullock. 



In former times there existed more varieties of this family o 

 mammals than are now known, which is attested by the fossi 

 remains that have been found in America and Europe. At th( 

 present day there are only three or four well-defined specie 

 living, but these have again been subdivided into several differen 

 varieties. 



From the curious distribution of the family Tapirus, the animali 

 have a peculiar interest to zoologists, for they form the soL 

 example of a pachydermatous genus that are distributed betweei 

 a very limited portion of the Old World and the southern countriei 

 of the American continent. A writer on this subject in th( 

 " Library of Entertaining Knowledge " says : " All other extan 

 pachydermatous genera yet known as Mephas, Rhinoceros, ffippa 

 potamus, Equus, Stts, Babirussa, and Hyrax, are indigenous in th( 

 older continents. There is abundant room for speculation on th( 

 present paucity of living Pachydermata in America, the more so as 



