THE JERBOA. 



445 



legs are two inches and a quarter, and exact- 

 ly resemble those of a bird, there being but 

 three toes, the middlemost of which is longest. 



The jerboa is found in Egypt, Barbary, Pa- 

 lestine, and the deserts between Bussorah and 

 Aleppo ; its hind legs, as was said before, are 

 only used in running, while the fore paws, 

 like those of a squirrel, grasp its food, and in 

 some measure perform the office of hands. 

 It is often seen by travellers as they pass 

 along the deserts, crossing thei r way, and j u rap- 

 ing six or eight feet at every bound, and 

 going so swiftly, that scarcely any other quad- 

 ruped is able to overtake them. They are 

 a lively harmless race of animals, living en- 

 tirely upon vegetables, and burrowing like 

 rabbits in the ground. Mr. Pennant tells us 

 of two that were lately brought to London, 

 that burrowed almost through the brick wall 

 of the room where they were kept ; they came 

 out of their hole at night for food, and, when 

 caught, were much fatter and sleeker than 

 when confined to their burrows. A variety 

 of this animal is found also in Siberia and 

 Circassia, and is, most probably, common 

 enough over all Asia. They are more expert 

 diggers than even the rabbit itself; and when 

 pursued for a long time, if they cannot escape 

 by their swiftnesa, they try to make a hole 

 instantly in the ground, in which they often 

 bury themselves deep enough to find security 

 before their pursuers come up. Their bur- 

 rows, in some places, are so thick, as to be 

 dangerous to travellers, the horses perpe- 

 tually falling in them. It is a provident little 

 animal, and lays up for the winter. It cuts 

 grass in heaps of a foot square, which, when 

 dried, it carries into its burrow, therewith 

 to serve it for food, or to keep its young warm 

 during the rigours of the winter. 



But of all animals of this kind, that which 

 was first discovered and described by Mr. 

 Banks, is the most extraordinary. He calls 

 it the kanguroo ; and though from its general 

 outline, and the most striking peculiarities of 

 its figure, it greatly resembles the jerboa, yet 

 it entirely differs, if we consider its size, or 

 those minute distinctions which direct the 

 makers of systems in assorting the general 

 ranks of nature." 



The largest of the jerboa kind which are 

 to be found in the ancient continent, do not 



exceed the size of a rabbit. The kanguroo 

 of New Holland, where it is only to be found, 

 is often known to weigh above sixty pounds, 

 and must consequently be as large as a 

 sheep. Although the skin of that which was 

 stuffed and brought home by Mr. Banks, was 

 not much above the size of a hare, yet it was 

 greatly superior to any of the jerboa kind that 

 have been hitherto known, and very different 

 in many particulars. The snout of the jer- 

 boa, as has been said, is short and round, 

 that of the discovered animal long and slen- 

 der; the teeth also entirely differ; for as the 

 jerboa has but two cutting teeth in each jaw, 

 making four in all, this animal, besides its 

 cutting teeth, has four canine teeth also ; but 

 what makes a more striking peculiarity, is 

 the formation of its lower jaw, which, as the 

 ingenious discoverer supposes, is divided into 

 two parts, which open and shut like a pair 

 of scissors, and cut grass, probably this ani- 

 mal's principal food. The head, neck, and 

 shoulders, are very small in proportion to 

 the other parts of the body ; the tail is near- 

 ly as long as the body ; thick near the rump, 

 and tapering towards the head and ears, 

 which bear a slight resemblance to those of 

 the hare. We are not told, however, from 

 the formation of its stomach, to what class 

 of quadrupeds it belongs: from its eating 

 grass, which it has been seen to do, one 

 would be apt to rank it among the ruminating 

 animals ; but from the canine teeth which it 

 is found to have, we may on the other hand 

 suppose it to bear some relation to the car- 

 nivorous. Upon the whole, however, it can 

 be classed with none more properly, than 

 with animals of the jerboa kind, as its hind 

 legs are so much longer than the fore; it 

 moves also precisely in the same manner, 

 taking great bounds of ten or twelve feet at 

 a time, and thus sometimes escaping even 

 the fleetest grayhound, with which Mr. Banks 

 pursued it. One of them that was killed 

 proved to be good food ; but a second, which 

 weighed eighty-four pounds, and was not 



In order to supply some deficiencies in our author's 

 description of this animal, the reader is referred to p. 413, 

 under the head of the "Oppossum and its kinds," to 

 which class naturalists now consider this creature to be 

 liearly allied. 



SU 



