452 AMERICAN TAPIR. 



a kind of whistle, which is easily imitated, and 

 thus the animal is often deceived and trepanned. 

 It is rather slow in its motions, and of a some- 

 Ayhat inactive disposition. 



The Tapir produces but one young at a birth, 

 of which it is extremely careful ; leading it 

 early to the water, in order to instruct it in swim- 

 ming, &c. ^ 



Mons. Bajon, a surgeon, at Cayenne, has com- 

 municated some very good observations on this 

 animal to the French Academy of Sciences for 

 the year 1774, which are inserted into the sixth 

 supplemental volume of the Count de Buffon's 

 Natural History. 



" The figure of the Tapir," says Mons. Bajon, 

 ^' bears some general resemblance to that of a Hog ; 

 but he is of the height of a small mule ; having an 

 extremely thick body, and short legs. He is co- 

 vered with hair of a longer kind than the horse or 

 ass, but not so long nor thick as that of a hog. 

 His mane, which is strait, is but little longer than 

 the rest of the hair, and reaches from the top of 

 the head to the shoulders : the head is large and 

 Jong ; the eyes very small and black : the ears 

 short, and somevv^hat like those of a hog. He is 

 provided with a trunk on the upper lip of near a 

 foot long, the movements of which are extremely 

 supple, and in which resides the organ of smell, 

 as in the Elephant, and wdiich he extends in order 

 to grasp fruits, &c. The two nostrils part the 

 end of the trunk. The tail is only two inches 

 long, and is nearly naked. The hair of the body 



