THE EGYPTIAN JERBOA, 



37 



used the fore-paws at all, but alike sprang from and 

 alighted on their long slender hind-legs alone. (Fig. 20.) 

 When undisturbed, their common attitude is that of 

 sitting upon the haunches ; and the fore-paws are used 

 in the same manner as in the squirrels and marmots. 

 (Fig. 21.) The food of the Jerboa consists principally 

 of bulbous roots which the animals dig up with the fore- 

 paws ; they also devour grain and other vegetable 

 matters. It would appear that the Jerboa hybernates, 

 but the duration of its torpor cannot be very protracted. 



'-^IW 



21.— Egyptian Jerboa. 



The flesh of these animals, though unsavoury, is eaten 

 by the Arabs and Egyptians, who contrive to capture 

 them by stopping up all the openings of their subter- 

 ranean retreat except one, which is netted. 



Few animals, if we may judge from our own observa- 

 tions, bear confinement so impatiently as the Jerboas : 

 they sedulously exclude themselves from observation, 

 and when they come forth from their retreat in the 

 evening, they are restless and distrustful in the extreme. 



In size this species is equal to a large rat ; the general 

 colour is pale tawny yellow, passing into a lighter tint 



c 3 



