JUMPING MICE, JERBOAS, ETC. 1281 



extends backward as a streak beneath the ear to the neck, while there are dark and 



light spots behind and in front of the ears. The tail is grayish brown at the base, 



but at the end black above and white below. 



The garden dormouse takes its name from being commonly found in the gar- 



dens and orchards of the warmer parts of the Continent, where it does much damage 



to the choicer kinds of fruit. It is found in Central and Western Europe, includ- 



ing France, Belgium, Switzer- 



land, Italy, Germany, Hun- 



gary, Galicia, and the Baltic 



provinces of Russia, and is 



stated to be specially common 



in the Harz mountains. There 



is nothing calling for particular 



remark in the habits of this 



species, except that it is stated 



to be more carnivorous in its 



tastes than any of its European SKELETON OF GARDEN DORMOUSE. 



kindred. The young may be 



produced in a deserted thrush's nest, or in some hole in a tree, or in a freely sus- 



pended nest, and it is characteristic of this species that whenever it builds a nest 



this is always placed between small boughs and never concealed. 



_ <, . Omitting mention of the other species allied to the garden dormouse 



it may be observed that there is a third group of the genus confined 



to Africa, the members of which are characterized by the hair being arranged uni- 



formly on the tail, instead of in two longitudinal rows; the whole tail being rela- 



tively shorter than in the other groups, with a well-marked tuft at the tip. These 



African dormice are further characterized by the very small size of their cheek-teeth, 



in which the foldings of enamel are nearly obsolete. 



Remains of dormice are found not uncommonly in the Tertiary 

 strata of Europe, as far down as the upper portion of the Eocene 

 period; most of the species agreeing approximately in size with some 



of the living forms. The extinct giant dormouse from the rock fissures and cavern 



deposits of Malta was, however, far larger than any existing species, and more 



nearly resembled a guinea pig; this association of giant dormice with pygmy ele- 



phants in Malta being not a little remarkable. 



JUMPING MICE, JERBOAS, etc. 

 Family 



The Rodents included in this family are all purely terrestrial, and for the most 

 part characterized by the great length of their hind-limbs as compared with the 

 front pair, and their long and generally hairy tails; their general appearance and 

 mode of progression thus being markedly kangaroo-like. They have very fre- 

 quently four upper cheek-teeth, and in all cases the incisor teeth are narrow, and 

 III 81 



