330 



THE RODENTS OR GNAWING ANIMALS. 



Horse, it is claimed, is unable to overtake it. Shy 

 and timid as it is, it retreats at the slightest alarm; 

 and even when quietly feeding, it frequently rises 

 upon its hinder limbs to look around. When pur- 

 sued, it does not flee in a straight line, but bounds 

 away, making many doubles and turns until it tires 

 out its pursuers or has found some convenient hole 

 in which to hide. 



The Alactaga feeds on all kinds of plants and 

 vegetable substances. Bulbs and roots form its 

 principal sustenance, but it does not disdain insects 

 and it may also devour an occasional Desert Lark, 

 or at least its eggs or young. It gnaws the bark 

 from shrubs, but of the juicy steppe plants it eats 

 only the tenderest shoots. At the approach of 

 severe frost the Alactaga goes into winter quarters. 

 Later in the season it closes the entrances of its tun- 

 nels more carefully than before, and together with 

 others of its kind it curls up into a ball, in the softly 

 lined chamber, and begins its winter sleep. 



Account The Alactaga is an object of a great 

 of a Captive deal of pursuit, as the inhabitants of 

 Alactaga. the steppes are very fond of its flesh 

 The nomads of those regions very rarely keep an 

 Alactaga in captivity, though it endures confine- 

 ment quite well. It has several times been kept in 

 Europe, not for pleasure only, but for use as well. 

 Strangely enough, we are indebted for the best 

 description of the animal not to a naturalist, but to 

 the antiquary Haym. In order to interpret a gold 

 coin of Cyrene, which on one side presented a Man 

 on horseback and on the other the well-known 

 plant Silphium and under it an Alactaga, Haym pro- 

 cured one of the little animals, kept it over a year, 

 during which time he carefully observed it and then 

 made public the result of his observations. 



For the first three or four months it ate nothing 

 but almonds, pistachios and rough ground corn, 

 abstaining entirely from water; later it fed on apples, 

 carrots and plants, selecting only those having but 

 little odor, such as spinach, lettuce, nettles, etc., 

 and it acquired a taste for an occasional drink of 

 water. It was partial to bread, sugar and similar 

 food, but obstinately refused cheese and all other 

 diet made from or containing milk. Ultimately it 

 preferred hemp seed to anything else. It was free 

 from the disagreeable odor which so often ema- 

 nates from similar animals, such as Mice, Squirrels 

 and Rabbits. It had so gentle a disposition that 

 one could safely handle it; it never attacked any 

 one. Timorous as a Hare, it was afraid of even 

 smaller, harmless animals. It suffered much from 

 ccld during the winter and it was necessary to keep 

 it near the fire during that season. 



THE JUMPING HARE. 



The Jumping Hare {Pedetes caffer), which is re- 

 garded as representing a distinct sub-family, materi- 

 ally differs from the other Dipodidas in its dentition, 

 and also to a less degree in other characteristics. 

 The body is elongated, gradually growing stouter 

 towards its hinder quarters. The neck is fairly 

 thick, but distinct from the body and much more 

 mobile than the necks of its relatives. The fore- 

 legs are very short, but much stronger than those of 

 the true Jerboas, and the toes of the fore-feet, five 

 in number, are armed with strong, long and sharply 

 curved claws. The hinder limbs are long, vigorous 

 and formed for jumping. The hind feet have four 

 toes attached to distinct metatarsal bones, and pro- 

 vided with strong, broad nails, which are rather 



short and nearly hoof-like. The middle toe sur- 

 passes the others in length; the short outer toe is 

 situated so high upon the foot that it hardly reaches 

 the ground. The tail is very long, strong and bushy; 

 it is slender at its base, but appears larger towards 

 the end by reason of the thickness of the encom- 

 passing fur, and it terminates in a blunt-pointed 

 tuft of hair. The fur is long, thickset, copious and 

 soft, its coloring resembling that of the Common 

 Hare, the upper surface being of a dull, rusty, 

 brownish-yellow hue, with an admixture of black, 

 many of the hairs having black tips. The under 

 surface is white. The proportions of the body of 

 the animal are about the same as those of the Hare, 

 it measuring about twenty-four inches from the tip 

 of the nose to the root of the tail; the tail is slightly 

 longer than the body. 



Range and Habits The Jumping Hare inhabits sterile 

 of Jumping regions and even desert-like plains. 

 Hares. \t [ s distributed over a great part of 



southern Africa, being found in the western portions 

 of that district as far north as Angola, and in the 

 eastern portions its range extends as far as the 

 German possessions of eastern Africa. In Cape 

 Colony it is quite frequently encountered, occurring 

 in mountainous localities as well as open plains, and 

 sometimes congregating in such numbers as to form 

 considerable settlements. After the manner of the 

 other species of the family it digs long, subterranean 

 tunnels near the surface of the earth leading, after 

 frequent ramifications, to a deeper chamber. Usu- 

 ally several couples or entire families inhabit one 

 burrow. 



The Jumping Hare carries its food to its mouth 

 with the fore-paws, after the manner of the true Jer- 

 boas. In proportion to the sloth of its movements 

 when it proceeds on all fours, is the rapidity of its 

 course when its mode of progression is a series of long 

 and powerful jumps. It springs into the air by means 

 of its long hind legs and alights without falling for- 

 ward. During flight the fore-legs are folded against 

 the chest. The usual length of its leaps is from two 

 to three yards, but when it is pursued it increases its 

 exertions to such an extent that the average dis- 

 tance covered is from six to ten yards. 



In the rainy season it retreats to its burrow and 

 the entire colony remains there curled up and closely 

 huddled together. The Jumping Hare endures cap- 

 tivity well and will live for a longtime if it receives 

 proper treatment. It soon becomes tame and famil- 

 iar with its keeper. Its cleanly habits make it a fa- 

 vorite and the procuring of its proper diet is a matter 

 of no difficulty: wheat, bread, lettuce and cabbage 

 are entirely sufficient for its sustenance. 



The Dutch settlers of south Africa are very fond 

 of hunting this animal; for its flesh is esteemed for 

 the table and its fur is used in the manufacture of 

 various articles of wearing apparel. 



£bc flDice. 



FIFTH FAH1LY: Miride. 



No other family of the order affords us so advan- 

 tageous and complete an opportunity to become 

 thoroughly acquainted with the Rodents as does 

 that which comprises the Mice. This family is not 

 only the richest in species and varieties but also by 

 far the most widely distributed, and, owing to its 

 association with Man, it is constantly gaining a more 



