THE MALAY TAPIR. 
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and beautifully marked with spots and stripes, of 
a fawn colour above, and white below ; after that 
period it began to change the colour, the spots 
disappeared, and at the age of six months it had 
become of the usual colour of the adult.” It was 
of a very mild and gentle disposition, tame and 
familiar as a dog, fed indiscriminately on all sorts 
of vegetables, and was very fond to attend at 
table, to secure bread, cakes, and the like. Sir 
Stamford Raffles’ living specimen was occasionally 
allowed to roam in the park at Barrackpore, and 
it frequently entered the ponds, and appeared to 
walk on the bottom under water, and not to make 
any attempt to swim. 
The Malay Tapir is from six to eight feet in 
length, and from three to three feet and a half 
in height at the shoulders. The manners, so far 
as known, are similar to those of the American 
Tapir. It inhabits the forests of the Malay 
Peninsula, and some of the Indian islands, leading 
an equally inoffensive life, and receiving ample 
sustenance from the vegetable productions of these 
luxurious regions. The flesh, though eaten by 
the Indian with relish, does not seem to cause it 
to be so much hunted as the American beast, and 
we are rather surprised that an animal of such 
bulk and singular markings remained so long 
unknown, and now remains so much unnoticed 
with regard to its habits. 
