The natives of Africa hunt the Hippopotamus, first to obtain the ivory furnished by its tusks—an ivory which, without being so good as that of the Elephant, is nevertheless very valuable. The skin, or hide, which is very thick, is also employed in the manufacture of various instruments. The flesh of the Hippopotamus is sought after in South Africa as a delicate morsel. THE TAPIRS. [Illustration: INDIAN TAPIR.] The American Tapir is of about the size of a small Donkey. Its skin is of a brown color and nearly naked, its tail of moderate length, its neck strong and muscular, and crested above with an upright mane. This animal inhabits swampy localities in the vicinity of rivers, and is peculiar to the tropical parts of South America, where its flesh is prized by the inhabitants as affording excellent and wholesome meat. The Tapir is a solitary animal, resting during the day in the depths of the forest, and coming forth at night to collect its food, which consists of fruit, the young shoots of trees, or other vegetables. Its senses of smell and hearing are very acute and at the slightest alarm it can make its way with ease “through bush and through briar,” without the slightest danger of injuring its thick, tough hide. It swims and dives well, and can remain for some minutes beneath the water without coming to the surface. The Tapir is peaceable unless attacked, in which case it defends itself vigorously with its strong teeth. Tapirs, although common in the Brazilian forests, are scarcely ever encountered by hunters during the day-time, so that there is little chance of travelers seeing anything more than the foot-marks of this largest of the tropical American Mammals. Their flesh is of a very rich flavor, something between pork and beef. The young are speckled with white. The Indian Tapir is larger than the South American Tapir, which it resembles in the shape of its body. Its hair is short and it has no mane. It inhabits the forests of the Island of Sumatra and the Peninsula of Malacca. THE RHINOCEROS FAMILY. The Rhinoceroses are large animals, having but three toes on each foot. The bones of the nose are massive and conjoined so as to form a sort of vault of sufficient strength to support one or two solid horns, which are adherent to the skin of the face and constitute formidable weapons either for defence or attack. The structure of these horns is fibrous, as if they were composed of a mass of hairs glued together. The natural disposition of these animals is stupid and ferocious. They inhabit marshes and other damp localities, and live altogether upon vegetable substances—grass, herbs, or the branches of trees. There are two species—the One-horned and the Two-horned. THE ONE-HORNED RHINOCEROS. [Illustration: ONE-HORNED RHINOCEROS.]