. Mammals of other lands;. Mammals. 158 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD. Pholo h >»â â¢' !> San] The largest of all the tapirs. MALAYAN TAPIR Is easily distinguished from the American tapirs by the patch of â¢white on the middle of its body partly, it is believed, that they may encase themselves with it as a protection against the an- noyance of flies. They feed on shoots of trees, bushes, leaves, and fallen fruits, forag- ing during the evening, and possibly far into the night. Tapirs are hunted by the natives for the sake of their thick hides, which are cut into thongs for reins and b
. Mammals of other lands;. Mammals. 158 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD. Pholo h >»â â¢' !> San] The largest of all the tapirs. MALAYAN TAPIR Is easily distinguished from the American tapirs by the patch of â¢white on the middle of its body partly, it is believed, that they may encase themselves with it as a protection against the an- noyance of flies. They feed on shoots of trees, bushes, leaves, and fallen fruits, forag- ing during the evening, and possibly far into the night. Tapirs are hunted by the natives for the sake of their thick hides, which are cut into thongs for reins and bridles. The flesh also is esteemed by some. There are three methods of capture. In South America the lasSo is used with occasional success. But when not foiled by undergrowth, the hunter often loses his victim by reason of the vio- lence and force of its rush, which snaps the thong. The Gauchos intercept it with dogs on its way to the water, when it will fight furiously, and many dogs may be killed before its dispatch is accom- phshed. Others imitate its peculiar, shrill call, and shoot it on its approach in answer thereto. Captives are easily tamed, and may be seen walking about the streets in many South American towns. They wander into the forest by day, returning in the evening to be fed, and are said to display great affection. On account of their great strength, it has been suggested that such cap- tives should be used as beasts of burden. Except the Malayan Tapir, which is black and white, tapirs are black or dark brown in colour, and but scantily clothed with hair; but the young, it is interesting to note, are spotted and striped with white or fawn-colour on a dark ground, a coloration recalling that of the wild pig. There are five different species of tapir. Their geographical distribution is remarkable, four species being South American, and one belonging to the Malayan region. But far back in the world's history, as we know from fossils, tapirs roamed over the
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