132 LECTURE IV. 



divided into three narrow hoofs in front, with the 

 addition of a small or spurious hoof behind each 

 of the fore-feet. The Tapir is a South- American 

 animal, nearly equal in size to a heifer. Its co- 

 lour is an obscure brown, and the skin is but spar- 

 ingly covered with hair. It is an animal of harm- 

 less manners, wandering about the woods, and 

 feeding on the young shoots of various shrubs. 

 It has been occasionally brought. alive into Eu- 

 rope, and a well preserved specimen occurs in the 

 Museum of Mr. Hunter. 



The genus Sus or Hog, concludes the enumera- 

 tion of the Linnaean BellusE. It is characterized 

 by having four front-teeth above, and six below : 

 two short tusks or canine-teeth in the upper jaw, 

 and two very long and curved ones in the lower 

 jaw, projecting upwards from the mouth : the 

 snout is prominent, moveable, and abruptly ter- 

 minated ; and the feet are divided into two large, 

 and two smaller hoofs, all pointing forwards. The 

 wild Boar, which is supposed to be the stock or 

 origin of all the domestic breeds, is a native of 

 almost all the temperate and warmer regions of 

 the ancient Continent. It is, in general, of smaller 

 size than the domestic Hog, and is of a dark grey 



