THE SMINTHUS THE MOUSE TRIBE 1289 



blunter, and approximate somewhat to nails; the middle hind-toe being much 

 larger than either of the others. The long 'and soft hair of the upper parts is red- 

 dish brown, more or less mingled with white, while beneath the color is pure white. 

 The range of the jumping hare extends from the Cape to Angola on 

 d H b't t ^ ie West, and Mozambique on the East Coast. Its ha'bits approximate 

 very closely to those of the jerboa. Thus it inhabits more or less desert 

 districts, where it constructs complex burrows, in which several families dwell to- 

 gether, and is thoroughly nocturnal. At the Cape it is found in considerable numbers, 

 and frequents both the mountains and the open plains. When feeding, the jumping 

 hare goes on all fours, but when at speed progresses with the leaps characteristic of 

 the family. Ordinarily, the length of each spring is from six to nine feet; but it is 

 said that the leap may occasionally cover a space of as much as twenty or even thirty 

 feet. The young are born during the African summer, and are usually from three 

 to four in number, and during the rainy season young and old alike seldom stir 

 from their burrows. The food appears to be entirely of a vegetable nature. The 

 flesh is largely eaten by the Hottentots, who catch almost as many of the creatures 

 as they please by the simple expedient of pouring water down their holes, upon 

 which the owners immediately bolt. 



THE SMINTHUS 

 Genus Sminthus 



Three rat-like Rodents the one (Sminthus subtilis) from Eastern and North- 

 ern Europe and Central Asia, the other (S. concolor] from Northwestern China, and 

 the third (S. leathami) from Kashmir are interesting in showing that the long 

 hind-limbs are not an essential attribute of the members of the present family. In- 

 deed the former of these Rodents for which there is unfortunately no English 

 name is so rat-like in appearance that it was long referred to the next family. It 

 differs, however, from all the members of the latter by the presence of a pair of pre- 

 molar teeth in the upper jaw (although there are none in the lower), while its skull 

 agrees in essential features with that of the jerboa. The common sminthus has 

 rather long and pointed ears, and a tail of nearly the same length as the body, and 

 clothed with short hairs. The premolar and last upper molar teeth are very small, 

 and the whole of the cheek-teeth have a complex pattern on their crowns. 



THE MOUSE TRIBE 

 Family MURID^E 



The Mouse family, which includes mice, rats, hamsters, voles, lemmings, etc., is 

 by far the most extensive group in the whole Rodent order, having a cosmopolitan 

 distribution, and being the only family represented in Australia. The majority of 

 the mice as we may conveniently term all the members of the group are of ter- 

 restrial habits, and have naked and scaly tails of varying length- while in most 



