TAPIES. 319 



eat roast tapir for dinner. Si-bueno — here tapir.' I pulled him 

 into the boat and afterwards assisted to haul up the huge body of 

 the slain tapir. As was now seen, both our shots had taken 

 effect; but it was the rifle-bullet that had broken the creature's 

 leg, and the generous savage acknowledged that he would have 

 had but little chance of overtaking the game under water had it 

 not been previously crippled." 



These animals are easily domesticated in consequence of their 

 mildness of disposition and sluggishness of character. Soninni 

 states that tame tapirs are allowed to wander at liberty through 

 the streets of the towns of Guyana and to wander off if so dis- 

 posed into the adjacent woods, from whence they return in the 

 evening to the houses where they are kept and fed. According to 

 his description of them, they are capable of attachment to their 

 owners, and he expresses the opinion that the strength, patience, 

 and docility of the animals might be utilized by converting 

 them into beasts of burden. It is very doubtful, however, 

 whether any advantage could be gained by such an experiment, 

 for although they are usually quiet and peaceful creatures, they 

 are said to be subject to fits of irritation and rushing madly about 

 blindly dash at any object that may impede their wild career. 

 The experience of the keepers in the Zoological Gardens with 

 these animals tends to show that they are very delicate and of 

 peculiar habits. Water, in which they can plunge, is an absolute 

 necessity, for without it they get ill and soon die, and for people 

 not prepared to accommodate them in this manner the keeping of 

 tapirs would be an impossibility. They are also such timid beasts 

 that anything occurring out of the ordinary terrifies them, in fact 

 they are not in any way to be depended upon; consequently 

 must be pronounced as totally unfitted for any useful domestic 



purpose- 

 In 1704 a living tapir was exhibited in Amsterdam, where it 

 was called a sea-horse, and was the first ever brought to Europe 

 in modern days. At a subsequent period two of them were carried 

 from town to town through Holland. There is no information 

 that can be found of any tapir being brought to England prior to 

 1828. In that year Lieutenant Maw presented a young tapir to 



