THE TAPIR. 
43 
| Baccoon sleeps by day, and emerges from its retreat in the even- 
) ing, prowling during the entire night in search of roots, fruit, 
) birds, etc. The fur of the raccoon is used in the manufacture of 
hats, and its flesh, when it has been fed on vegetables, is said to 
] make a savory dish. It can be easily tamed, when it is sportive 
and good natured ; but is as mischievous as a monkey and never 
| at rest. It is quite sensitive to ill treatment, and never forgets 
| or forgives those from whom it is received. 
THE TAPIF. 
he Tapir is a South American animal, and found principally 
in Brazil, Paraguay, and Gruiana. It is about the size of 
a small cow. Like the hippopotamus, the tapir is amphi- 
bious, and has a thick skin, which is almost bullet proof. It is 
bulky in form, has a curved back, and a short thick neck covered 
with a bristly mane, which, near the head, is an inch and a half 
in length. Its head is moderately large, with roundish erect ears 
and small eyes. Its muzzle terminates in a kind of proboscis, 
about three inches long, which it can contract or extend at will : 
this member is used for the purpose of grasping and conveying 
food to its mouth. The tapir is nocturnal in its habits, seldom 
stirring about during the day time, and delights in the water, 
where it is oftener seen than upon land. Its haunts are in 
marshes, and seldom wanders far from the margins of rivers or 
lakes. When pursued or wounded by hunters, it plunges into 
( 
