550 HisTOKY or 



teetL also entirely differ ; for as the jerboa has but two catting 

 teeth in each jaw, making four in all, this animal, besides its cut- 

 ting 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 scissars, and cut grass, proba- 

 bly this animal's principal food. The bead, neck, and shoulders 

 are very small in proportion to the other parts of the body ; the 

 tail is nearly as long as the body, thick near the rump, and ta- 

 pering towards the head and ears, which bear a slight resem- 

 blance to those of the hare. We are not told, however, from 

 the formation of its stomach, to what class of quadrupeds it be- 

 longs ; 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 carnivorous. 

 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 greyhound 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 yet come to its full growth, was found 

 to be much inferior. 



With this last described and last discovered animal, I shall 

 conclude the history of quadrupeds, which of all parts of natural 

 knowledge seems to have been described the most accurately. 

 As these, from their figure, as well as their sagacity, bear the 

 nearest resemblance to man, and from their uses or enmities are 

 the most respectable parts of the inferior creation ; so it was his 

 interest, and his pleasure, to make himself acquainted with their 

 history. It is probable therefore that time, which enlarges the 

 sphere of our knowledge in other parts of learning, can add but 

 very little to this. The addition of a new quadruped to the ca- 

 talogue already known, is of no small consequence, and hajjpens 

 but seldom ; for the number of all is so few, that wherever a new 

 one is found, it becomes an object worthy our best attention. 

 It may take refuge in its native deserts from our pursuits, but 

 not from our curiosity. 



