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 is dry and
disagreeable as an article of food, still the animal might be
domesticated with advantage, and employed as a beast of burthen, its
docility and great strength being strong recommendations.

* * * * *




THE FIELD OF WATERLOO.