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AMERICAN TAPIR. 



quadrupeds of South America, except the lately 

 discovered Equus bisulcus of Molina. When full 

 grown it is nearly equal to a heifer. In its ge- 

 neral form it bears some distant resemblance to 

 the Hippopotamus, and in the earlier editions of 

 the Systema Naturae was ranked by Linnaeus in 

 that genus, under the title of Hippopotamus 

 terrestris. By others it has been considered as 

 more aUied to the Hog, and has been called Sus 

 qiiaticus multisulcus, or Water Hog with finger- 

 ed hoof. But, in reality, the Tapir cannot pro- 

 perly be associated, otherwise than by a dis- 

 tant general alliance, with any other quadruped, 

 and forms a peculiar genus. It is of a gregarious 

 nature, and inhabits the woods and rivers of the 

 eastern parts of South America ; occurring from 

 the isthmus of Darien to the river Amazons ; feed- 

 ing chiefly by night, and eating sugar-canes, 

 grasses, and various kinds of fruit. Its colour is 

 an obscure brown, the skin itself being of that 

 cast, and covered sparingly with somewhat short 

 hair: the young animal is said to be commonly 

 spotted with white. The male is distinguished by 

 a kind of short proboscis or trunk, formed by the 

 prolongation of the upper lip to some distance be- 

 yond the lower : this part is extensile, wrinkled 

 at the sides, and in some degree resembles that 

 of the Elephant on a smaller sca-le, though not 

 of the same tubular structure : the neck is very 

 short, and furnished above with a rising mane : 

 the body is thick and heavy ; the back much 

 arched ; the legs short ; the fore-feet divided into 



