184 MURID^. 



5 toes as aisual, have been separated as Alactaga, Gray, one species of 

 wliich, Alactaga indica, Gray, inhabits Afghanistan, and its habits have 

 been described by Hutton. Most of the jerboas are from Africa, a few 

 from Central Asia. They make most surprising jumps. 



Sub-fam. Murine, Rats and Mice. 



Incisors compressed laterally, the lower ones acuminate, awl-shaped ; 



3 3 



molars ', rooted, uniformly covered by enamel, the anterior one of 



o — o 



each series the largest, the posterior the smallest ; the U2:)per molars shelve 



somewhat backwai'ds, the lower ones forwards. Fore-feet with 4 wide-set 



toes, and a hallucar unguiculate wart; hind-feet with 5 toes. Tail usually 



long, and thinly clad or nude, short and hairy in a few. Cosmopolite. 



This comprises the true rats and mice. Mr. Blyth, just before his 



dejiarture from India, wrote a valuable memoir on the rats and mice of 



India, which has been my chief guide in treating of these little animals. 



Much yet remains to be done in elucidating this group, and determining 



the value of many of Mr, Hodgson's species. 



Gen. Gerbillus, F. Cuvier. 



Char. — Upper incisors grooved ; molars equably enamelled, with 

 transverse ridges, forming when worn oval figures. Ears oval. Head 

 lengthened and somewhat pointed. Hinder tarsus and toes elongated. 

 Tail long, hairy, with a tuft of hair at the tip. 



These field-rats have small fore limbs and well-developed hinder 

 limbs. Their form is somewhat slender, and their eyes are large. 

 They are extraordinarily agile, and form extensive burrows in plains, 

 especially in sandy districts, and also in sand-hills, but not generally in 

 cultivated fields. They are found in Africa and Asia. 



170. Gerbillus indicus. 



Dipus apud Hardwicke, Lin. Tr. VIII. pi. 7. — 111. Ind. Zool. — 

 Blyth, Cat. p. 110.* — Elliot, Cat. 32. — G. Ilardioickii, Gray, and 

 G. Cuvieri, Waterhouse. — Hiirna mils, H., i, e. Antelope rat. — Jhenku 

 indur, Sansc. and Bengal. — Fen yelka of Waddurs. — Tel yeXka of the 

 Yanadees. — BiUa ilei, Can. 



* The printer has played snch pranks with the subsequent numbers in Blyth's 

 Catalogue, that henceforth I will only cite the page. 



