SIBERIAN JERBOA. 77 



diameter, and has a small hole near the top. The female 

 produces her litter, of four or five young ones, generally 

 about the month of May or June. Dormice have many 

 of the habits, but want much of the sprightliness, of the 

 squirrel. They lay up, in preparation for the winter, a 

 magazine of nuts or acorns ; and when occasionally re- 

 vived from their sleep by the unusual warmth of the 

 weather, they take a little food, and then relapse into 

 their former state. These animals are frequently tamed 

 and kept in cages. 



They are about the size, and have much the shape of 

 a mouse, but are more bulky. Their tail is hairy, round, 

 and thickest towards the extremity. Their general co- 

 lour is a tawny red, but their throat is white, The eyes 

 are full and black ; and the inner toes of the hind feet 

 are without claws. 



30. JERBOA TRIBE. 



The Jerboas live entirely on vegetable food. They 

 are inhabitants, principally, of the warmer climates. 

 They burrow into the ground, sleep during the day, and 

 are active only in the night. 



Siberian Jerboa. The structure of these animals is 

 very singular. Their hind legs are so long, and the fore 

 legs so short, that they almost always walk upright ; and, 

 when alarmed by the approach of danger, they immedi- 

 ately take to flight, in leaps six or seven feet high, and 

 so swiftly repeated, that a man mounted on a good horse 

 would scarcely be able to overtake them. They are 

 chiefly found in those parts of Siberia, Egypt, and 

 Arabia, where the ground is hard and clayey. In this 

 they dig their holes or burrows, several yards in length, 



