Show 0 THE TAPIR SL animal early dearly allied to extinct of tile the florac the arrival of it new species of malayan tapir rt at the london zoological gardens garden it tracts attention ton group 0 animals is 13 ol of considerable interest to naturalists natura lists as having in he condition of I 1 1 lie fie world extended overa over very ivory large poi poa lion ot of its surface many of oc them inhabiting europe where their I 1 evains in a fossil condition are still to be found naturalists Natura lists coti ikler them closely allied to many extinct horses in sit ectore though they arc very different in appearance and also ili inhabits habits the tapirs are now only to be found fould in ili the tropical forests of 0 the world the species named coining from the malay peninsula and all the other living specimens from central or south america the malay tapir is if described as a very verl shy mild and gentle creature which chic h avoids all inhabited districts living in tile bild id 0 forests o rests and feeding excle exclusively ively on vegetable su bEtances such is the llie of sy r n A MALAYAN tann TAMIL hiees ices which they gather into their month bythe by the use of the short proboscis it attains a very considerable size from tho the nose to the tail lail often reaching eight feet though not dot strictly aquatic they ire aro very fond of water plunging ioto into tile th rivers and walking along tile bottom instead of 0 swimming this jecies t is remarkably distinguished by its head and limbs belog being glossy black while the intermediate parts ot of the body pro white tile american species are nil all of a nearly uniform dark brown or blackish color when mature but all the young are conspicuously marked with spots or stripes of white or fawn color on a dark ground the tapirs when captured young tire are easily tamed buethe but the natives niti of tile the countries in which they aro are found endeavor to kill them for the sake of their skin and tor for their flesh is is generally regarded as being excellent food tapirs have been born in captivity sn in the london zoological gardens and it is quite possible pos blis that they easily domesticated ua its useful food producing animals |