THE JERBOA. 



315 



Familiarity Love of warmth. 



and employs her flying membrane to shelter their 

 tender bodies from the cold. They are easily 

 tamed, and soon become familiar: they love 

 warmth, and are very fond of creeping into the 

 sleeve or pocket of their owner; and if thrown 

 upon the ground, they instantly show their dis- 

 like to it, by running up and sheltering themselves 

 in his clothes. They use the same food, and 

 form their hoards exactly in the same manner as 

 the other varieties of the squirrel species. 



They are found in all the northern regions, 

 both of the old and new continents ; but they are 

 more numerous in America than in Europe. 



THE JERBOA. 



THE jerboa is somewhat less than a rat, and 

 its head bears a near resemblance to that of the 

 rabbit; but it is peculiarly remarkable for the 

 construction of its legs ; the fore ones are only 

 an inch in length, and are used as hands, to carry 

 food to its mouth ; the hind ones are long, naked, 

 and formed like those of a bird; having only 

 three toes on each. The tail is considerably 

 longer than the body, and terminated with a 

 large tuft. The hair is long and soft, of a reddish 

 colour on the upper parts, and white beneath. 

 They are found in Egypt, Barbary, Palestine 

 and the eastern deserts of Siberia, 

 2 K 2 



