Their habit of depositing their dropping on the same spot, which is shared by many deer and antelopes, has been noted by all writers on the subject. Native shikaris watch these large heaps and take poor rhino at a disadvantage.
XIV. THE MALAY TAPIR (Tapirus malayanus)
Native names: ‘Ta-ra-shu,’ Burmese; ‘Kuda-ayer,’ Malayan
Sterndale says of it:
Habitat: Tenasserim provinces, as high as 15° N. Lat., Lower Siam, the Malayan Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo. Description: General colour glossy black, but with the back, rump, and sides of the belly white; the young are beautifully variegated, being striped and spotted with yellow fawn on the upper parts of the body and with white below. Mr. Mason writes: ‘Though seen so rarely, the tapir is by no means uncommon in the interior of the Tavoy and Mergui provinces. I have frequently come upon its recent footmarks, but it avoids the inhabited parts of the country. It has never been heard of north of the valley of the Tavoy river.’ The tapir is naturally, all the world over, a very shy, retiring animal, but it is capable of being tamed when taken young, and of showing great attachment. It is not found in India proper, but is occasionally come across in Burmah.
Measurements
| Authority | Height | Length, head and body | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Museum | 36½ ins. | 75 ins. | A skeleton, tail with some vertebræ wanting |
XV. WILD BOAR (Sus indicus)
It is a maxim in India that the only sportsmanlike way of killing boar is with horse and spear, and therefore as these volumes treat principally of those beasts which fall or should fall to the rifle, this pluckiest of all beasts must be dismissed with a very brief notice.
Occasionally there may be some justification for shooting boar, but as they travel great distances, none ought to be shot within forty miles of rideable ground.