and seldom stirring from
its retreat during the day, which it passes in a state of tranquil
slumber. During the night, its season of activity, it wanders forth in
search of food, which consists of water-melons, gourds, young shoots of
brushwood, &c.; but, like the hog, it is not very particular in its
diet. Its senses of smell and hearing are extremely acute, and serve to
give timely notice of the approach of enemies. Defended by its tough
thick hide, it is capable of forcing its way through the thick underwood
in any direction it pleases: when thus driving onwards, it carries its
head low, and, as it were, ploughs its course.

The most formidable enemy of this animal, if we except man, is the
jaguar; and it is asserted that when that tiger of the American forest
throws itself upon the tapir, the latter rushes through the most dense
and tangled underwood, bruising its enemy, and generally succeeds in
dislodging him.

The snout of the tapir greatly reminds one of the trunk of the elephant;
for although it is not so long, it is very flexible, and the animal
makes excellent use of it as a crook to draw down twigs to the mouth, or
grasp fruit or bunches of herbage: it has nostrils at the extremity,
but there is no finger-like appendage.

In its disposition the tapir is peaceful and quiet, and, unless hard
pressed, never attempts to attack either man or beast; when, however,
the hunter's dogs surround it, it defends itself very vigorously with
its teeth, inflicting terrible wounds, and uttering a cry like a shrill
kind of whistle, which is in strange contrast with the massive bulk of
the animal.

[Illustration: AMERICAN TAPIR.]

The Indian tapir greatly resembles its American relative; it feeds on
vegetables, and is very partial to the sugar-cane. It is larger than the
American, and the snout is longer and more like the trunk of the
elephant. The most striking difference, however, between the eastern and
western animal is in colour. Instead of being the uniform dusky-bay tint
of the American, the Indian is strangely particoloured. The head, neck,
fore-limbs, and fore-quarters are quite black; the body then becomes
suddenly white or greyish-white, and so continues to about half-way over
the hind-quarters, when the black again commences abruptly, spreading
over the legs. The animal, in fact, looks just as if it were covered
round the body with a white horse-cloth.

Though the flesh of both the Indian and American tapir