NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL PARK. 97 



The Pygmy Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus liberiensis), is 

 a great zoological novelty, and second in rarity only to the 

 okapi. Thus far only five specimens ever have been ex- 

 hibited. An adult Pygmy Hippo is only one-fourteenth 

 the size of an adult Nile Hippo. Our three specimens, a 

 female and two males, are exhibited in the Elephant House. 

 They arrived in 1912, and were captured in Liberia, West 

 Africa. The cost price of the trio was $15,000. They have 

 excellent appetites, never have been ill, and they seem to 

 enjoy their new home. Their habits, capture, and their 

 home surroundings have been fully described in the Bulletin 

 (No. 52) and the Annual Report for 1912 of the Zoological 

 Society. 



The Pygmy Hippopotamus is far more widely distributed 

 throughout Liberia than might be inferred from the sur- 

 prising scarcity of specimens in museums, and the long ab- 

 sence of the species from zoological gardens. It is an in- 

 habitant of swampy forests, and while it frequents rivers 

 it is not confined to them, like the large hippo. It seeks 

 shelter from molestation in large cavities in river banks, 

 usually under the roots of overhanging trees. These speci- 

 mens were caught by digging pits in their runways, with 

 sides so steep that the captives could not climb out. After 

 capture, each animal was placed in a huge basket crate, 

 slung under a pole, and carried by natives over the rough 

 forest trails to the nearest river transportation. 



The Tapirs. — Near the end of the Order of Hoofed Ani- 

 mals, (Ungulata) , is found the Tapir Family, represented 

 in both the old world and the new, by about five species. 

 These very odd creatures inhabit the densest forests of the 

 tropics, where vegetation grows rankly, and few other large 

 hoofed animals can live. They are very fond of water, and 

 swim well. 



The South American Tapir, (Tapirus terrestris), takes 

 kindly to captivity, breeds in confinement, and always man- 

 ages to look well-fed and as sleek as a seal. Its color is a 

 rich mahogany brown, and its long, prehensile nose is 

 strongly suggestive of the end of an elephant's trunk. The 

 shoulder height of a full-grown animal is about 37 inches. 

 This species inhabits Venezuela, the Guianas, Brazil, Para- 

 guay, Uruguay and some other regions of South America. 

 Some of the Central American Tapirs inhabit mountain re- 

 gions, but all are exceedingly wary, and difficult to find 

 without dogs. 



