104 Quadrupeds. 



THE JERBOA. (Dipus cegyptius.) 



THE principal peculiarity of this animal consists in its 

 having very short fore legs, and very long hinder ones : 

 a bird divested ot its feathers and wings, and jumping 

 upon its legs, would give us the nearest resemblance to 

 the figure of a Jerboa when pursued. It uses, however, 

 all its four feet upon ordinary occasions, and it is only 

 when pursued that it presses its fore feet close to its 

 body, and leaps on its hind ones. The ancients called 

 it the two-footed rat. This creature is about the size of 

 a rat ; the head resembles that of a rabbit, with long 

 whiskers ; the tail is ten inches long, and terminated by 

 a tuft of black hair. The fur of the body is tawny, 

 except the breast and throat, and part of the belly, 

 which are white. The Jerboa is very active and lively, 

 and jumps and springs, when pursued, six or seven feet 

 from the ground, with the assistance of its tail ; but if 

 this useful member be in any manner injured, the 

 activity of the Jerboa is proportionately diminished ; 

 and one which had been accidentally deprived of its tail, 

 was found unable to leap at all. It burrows like the 

 rabbit, and feeds like the squirrel: it is a native of 

 Egypt and the adjacent countries, and is also found in 

 eastern Europe. 



