its feet are cloven like those of the ox, and are armed behind with a fpur, by which the animal is enabled to support itself on rugged and difficult ground. The height of the lama is about four feet, and its length, from the neck to the tail, fix feet. Tapir.-The tapiir is the hippopotamus of the new world, and has by fome authors been mistaken for that animal; it inhabits the woods and rivers on the eaftern fide of SouthAmerica, from the ifthmus of Darien to the river of the Amazons. It is a folitary animal, fleeps during the day, and goes out in the night in fearch of food; lives on grafs, fugarcanes and fruits. If difturbed it takes to the water, fwims with great cafe, or plunges to the bottom, and like the hippopotamus, walks there as on dry ground. It is about the fize of a final cow, its nofe is long and flender, and extends far beyond the lower jaw, forming a kind of probofcis, which it can contract or extend at pleasure; each jaw is furnished with ten cutting teeth, and as many grinders; its ears are small and erect; its body formed like that of a hog; its back arched; legs fhort; and hoofs, of which it has four upon each foot, fmall, black, and hollow; its tail is very fmall; its hair fhort, and of a dusky brown colour. It is mild and inoffenfive, avoids all hoftilities with other animals, and flies from every appearance of danger. Its fkin, of which the Indians make bucklers, is very thick; and when dried, is fo hard as to refift the impreffion of an arrow. The natives cat its flesh, which is faid to be very good. ANIMALS OF THE OX KIND. Of this genus, different writers have given an account of three diftin&t fpecies in America, befides the common domesticated animal, viz. the BUFFALO, the MUSK, and the BISON, though it is doubtful whether the former of these is any other than the bifon, and whether the variation between the neat cattle and the bifon is any thing more than the effect of domestication; we fhall, however, defcribe each of them. Buffalo. Though there is the moft ftriking resemblance between this animal and the common ox, both in regard to form and nature, their habits and propenfities being nearly fimilar, are both equally fubmiffive to the yoke, and may be employed in the fame domeftic fervices; yet it is certain, from experience, that no two animals can, in reality, be more diftinct: the cow refufes to breed with the buffalo, while it is known to propagate with the bifon, to which it bears, in point of form, a much more diftant fimilitude. Mr. Umphreville, who ftates this animal to be a native of Hudlen's bay, gives the following account of the manner in which the Indians take it: "The Indians have various ways of killing the buffalo; one of which is by cautiously approaching them when feeding. The hunter, upon this occafion, lies on his belly, and will fometimes fire his gun forty or fifty times without railing the herd. They also purfue them on horieback, and fhoot them with arrows and guns. But the means by which the greatest numbers are taken is by making a pound, which is constructed in the following manner:-" They are either of a cir. cular or fquare form, and differ according to the manner of the nation by whom they are made. The fquare ones are compofed of trees laid on one another, to the height of about five feet, and about fifty on each fide of the fquare. On that fide at which the animals are intended to enter, a quantity of earth is laid, to the height of the conftruction, fo as to form a hill of an eaty afcent of about twenty feet. This done, a number of tranches of trees are placed, from each side of the front, in a strait line from the railed hill, for about one hundred feet in length, continually increasing in width, fo that though the inward ends of thefe lines of branches are no more than fifty feet alunder, the exterior end will exceed two hundred feet. After this, a number of poles, nearly fifteen feet long each, are placed at about twelve feet distance from each other, with a piece of buffalo dung on the top, and in a fait line from the boughs above mentioned. At the foot of each pole a man lies concealed in a buffalo skin, to keep the animals in a ftrait direction to the pound. Thele poles are placed alike on each fide, always increating is b.ealth from one fide to the other, and decreafing in the fame proportion as the rinils appicach the pound. Every preparation being now m.de, three or four men let off on foot to find a herd of cows, for the bulls they think not worth their trouble: thele they drive eily along, till they arrive within the vicinity of the pound, when one man is diipatched to give notice to the other Indians, who immediately affemble on horieback on each fide the herd, keeping a proper diflance, for fear of frightening the animals. By this means they are conducted within the extera line of polet. It feq .ently happens that they will endea your to go out; to prevent which, the men who are placed a the foot of each poke fake then skins, which drives the head to |