.v 





THE JERBOA. (From a Specimen.) 



A Jerboa (Dipus), a biped mammal, adapted for life on the deserts and steppes. The 

 ankle joint is very high off the ground; the foot has a tuft of hair which prevents it sinking 

 into the soft sand; the tail is useful in balancing; the fore-limbs are bent close up to the neck. 

 The length of leap is extraordinary, and the creature vanishes almost instantaneously. 

 Jerboas are also able to burrow. An astonishing feature is the coalescence of the three instep 

 or metatarsal bones into one, presenting a strong resemblance to the tarso-metatarsus of 

 birds. More remarkable still is the "soldering" together of the neck vertebra. Jerboas of 

 this genus are confined to the Old World. 



