200 ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS. 
approaching to black, with the exception of the sides of 
the lower lip, a band occupying the middle of the chin 
beneath, the upper edges of the ears, and a naked line 
at the junction of the hoofs, all which are purely white. 
The hair is rather scanty all over the body, very short, 
and so closely pressed to the surface as hardly to be 
distinguished at a little distance. The skin beneath 
it is of great density, being, according to M. Roulin, 
not less than seven lines in thickness on the back, and 
eight or nine on the cheeks ; and so tough that M. Son- 
nini assures us he has frequently fired at a female Tapir 
crossing a river with her young, with his gun heavily 
loaded, without giving her so much disturbance as to 
cause her to turn aside from her course, although he 
could distinctly see the impression of his ball upon her 
skin. On the back of the neck, extending forwards as 
far as the level of the eyes, is a thick rounded crest, 
formed internally of a powerful ligament stretched 
between the spinous processes of the vertebrae of the 
neck and a strong elevated ridge occupying the line of 
junction between the parietal bones of the skull. This 
singular crest is surmounted by a thin mane of stiff 
blackish hairs. It is peculiar to the present species, 
but is not found, according to M. Roulin, in its female 
at Cayenne ; although we have D'Azara's authority for 
the female being equally furnished with it in Paraguay. 
In the young female, formerly in the Society's Mena- 
gerie, which was brought by Lieutenant Maw from 
Para in Brazil, it was also very conspicuous. The 
length of the head is very great and is considerably 
increased by the prolongation of the muzzle, which is 
covered with hair of the same colour with that of the 
rest of the body above, and is naked and flesh-coloured 
at its flattened extremity and beneath. The eyes are 
extremely small and of a dull lead-colour. 
