THE JERBOAS. 



327 



Zbe 3ert>oae. 



FOURTH FAMILY: Dipodid/E. 



The Jerboas vividly remind us of the Kangaroos 

 in shape and show a disproportionateness of struc- 

 ture similar to that of the latter animals. The hind 

 part of the body is exceptionally strong, and the 



JUMPING MOUSE. This North American Rodent is famous for its 



ability to make flying leaps of from eight to ten feet at a bound, although 

 its size is only about that of the Common Mouse. The picture gives a good 

 idea of its jumping ability. {Jaculus /ittdsonius.) 



hind legs are about three times the size of the fore- 

 legs; the tail is of proportionate length, but its 

 extremity usually shows a tuft, the hair of which is 

 arranged in a double row. On the other hand, the 

 head of the Dipodidae differs materially from that of 

 the Kangaroos. It is very thick and adorned with 

 mustaches, which, pro- ^ 

 portionately to the size 1 ' 

 of the animal, are the 

 longest among all mam- 

 mals, for they are often 

 as long as the body. 

 The eyes are large but 

 have an expression that 

 is vivid and prepossess- 

 ing to an extent equaled 

 by few other nocturnal 

 animals. The ears are 

 erect and spoon-shaped, 

 and of varying length 

 in different species. In 

 some the ears equal the 

 head in length, in others 

 they are only a third as 

 long, but they are all suf- 

 ficiently large to show 

 that hearing is a well- 

 developed sense with 

 these animals. The neck 

 is thick and immobile, 

 the trunk slender, and 

 the fur is close, soft and 

 of a sandy hue. 



General The Jerboas principally inhabit 

 Traits of the Africa and Asia; some species, how- 

 Jerboas, ever, reach over into southern Eu- 

 rope, and one species or sub-family is indigenous to 

 North America. They all inhabit dry, open fields, 

 grassy plains or and deserts of sand. On clayey 



or sandy soil, in low-lying situations; sometimes, 

 but rarely, on hills, or amid dense bushes border- 

 ing on meadows or near fields, they take up their 

 abode, excavating subterranean burrows which they 

 furnish with plenty of tunnels and with many rami- 

 fications, but which are usually very shallow and 

 have numerous exits. By day they stay hidden in 

 their burrows, and after sunset they sally forth and 

 spend the night in a lively manner. Their food con- 

 sists of roots, bulbs, various kinds of grains and seeds r 

 fruit, leaves, grass and herbs. Some also feed on in- 

 sects or even on small birds and the decaying flesh 

 of carcasses, and occasionally they kill and devour 

 each other. They take their food in a semi-erect 

 position, supported by their hind quarters and tail, 

 lifting the food to their mouths with their fore-paws. 

 Peculiar Move- Their movements are of a peculiar 

 mentsofthe character. Their usual gait differs 

 Jerboas. f rom t h a t of the Kangaroo in that 

 they put one foot in front of the other in quick suc- 

 cession, but in a hurried course they proceed by 

 leaps, their vigorous hind feet propelling them high 

 into the air, and the distichous tail regulating the 

 direction and preserving the balance of the body. 

 The fore-legs are either held against the chin or 

 crossed in front of the chest, as a human being 

 when running might place his hands, and at such 

 times these animals produce the impression of pos- 

 sessing only two legs. The larger species may exe- 

 cute immense leaps, and it may be said of all of 

 them that they clear a space amounting to twenty 

 times the length of their body at a bound. One 

 leap rapidly succeeds another, and when one of 

 these animals is in full flight all that can be seen 

 of it is a yellow object shooting through the air in 

 short curves, like an arrow. The dexterity with 

 which they dig in the ground is equally noteworthy, 

 in spite of the weakness of their fore-paws, with 



EGYPTIAN JERBOA. One of the strangest of Rodents is the Jerboa, with its elongated hind legs, its long, 



tufted tail and its large ears. The Egyptian species inhabits the deserts of northern Africa and Arabia. The artist 

 has pictured these animals amid such desert surroundings, with no living neighbors save a bevy of Desert Larks. 

 {Dipus cegypticus.') 



grazing, they 

 also resemble 



which they do this work. While 



walk on all fours, and in this respect 



the Kangaroos, but they then move very sjowly and 



maintain this position but a short time. In sitting 



they rest on the soles of their hind feet and present 



a somewhat grotesque appearance. 



