Observations on the tapir of America / [William Yarrell].

  • Yarrell, William, 1784-1856
Date:
[1829]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Observations on the tapir of America / [William Yarrell]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    large and one small, were placed on the right side; and two large equal lobes occupied the left side, the inferior one of these being partly divided and notched on the edge. The Tapir, like the Rhinoceros, has no gall bladder. The small intestines were uniform in size throughout their whole length, and measured 21 feet; they also bore marks of inflammation. . The ccecum was capacious compared with the stomach, and measured 14 inches in the line of its long axis, and 24 inches in the girth at the largest part, having two deep, and several smaller, circular indentations externally, and marked with one strong longitudinal band on each sur¬ face ; tapering somewhat to a point at its closed extremity, but without any appendix vermiformis. The precise form of the ccrcum will be best rmderstood by a reference to plate vii, fig. 4. The colon, at the distance of two feet from its commencement, suddenly doubled upon itself, forming a fold of 16 inches in length, the inner surfaces of which were closely connected. The whole length of the large intestines was seven feet. The sexual organs were those of a female, and from the degree of vascularity which pervaded the uterus, cornua and ovaria, it is probable the animal was approaching that period of her life at which she would have commenced breeding. In the Philosophical Transactions for the year 1821, Sir Everard Home, Bart., has pointed out the differences that exist in the crania of the Tapirs of Sumatra and America; and has also described part of the viscera of the former. On comparison, some differences will also be found in the soft parts. In the Tapir of Sumatra the stomach is large, the intestinal canal very long, the ccecum small; in the American species the stomach is small, the intestines of moderate length, the ccecitm large. The den¬ tition of the two animals is similar. Of the species described; The length of the Tapir of Sumatra is eight feet. Whole length of its intestinal canal 89 feet 6 inches. Proportion as 11 to 1. Length of the American Tapir, 4 feet. Whole length of its intestinal canal, 28 feet. Proportion, as 7 to 1.