120 



RODENTS. 



chambers, and containing large central chambers containing dried grass. The 

 Indian gerbil is a thoroughly nocturnal animal, seldom leaving its burrow during 

 the daytime. It is frequently found near cultivated grounds, where it does much 

 damage to the corn crops, sometimes appearing in such numbers as to constitute a 

 veritable plague. Away from cultivated districts, its food consists mainly of grass 

 and roots. It has been stated that gerbils lay up stores of food in their burrows, 

 but it does not appear that this is really the case. Gerbils resemble jerboas in 

 progressing by a series of leaps from their long hind-legs ; the length of the leaps 



EGYPTIAN GERBIL. 



in the Indian species being from twelve to fifteen feet. So active are these 

 animals, that they are generally able to elude such dogs as may pursue them, 

 sometimes even jumping upon their backs. The Indian gerbil is one of the most 

 prolific of Rodents, frequently producing from twelve to fifteen young at a birth, 

 and occasionally, it is said, even more. 



THE PHILIPPINE RAT. 



Genus Phlceomys. 



The Philippine Islands are the habitat of a peculiar species of rat (Phlceomys 

 cumingi), which differs so markedly from all others that it must be regarded as 

 constituting a subfamily by itself. While having the ordinary murine form, these 

 rats resemble the gerbils in having their molar teeth divided into transverse laminae, 



