356 THE COMMON JERBOA. 



and so abundantly, as in the Cyrenaicum, or Pentapolis. In 

 the wide range it inhabits there is but little variation observable 

 in the size and colour of different specimens. Towards Aleppo 

 they have broader noses than the African ones j their bodies 

 are also thicker, and their colours lighter ; a difference always 

 seen in the Syrian animals, when compared with those of 

 Africa. 



It is a small, clean, and harmless animal, nearly the size of 

 a common rat. When standing nearly erect on its feet, the 

 jerboa of the Cyrenaicum is six inches and a quarter in height. 

 The upper parts of the body are very smooth, and of a shining 

 brown tinged with yellow or gold colour, the end of the hairs 

 being tipt with black ; the buttocks are marked with a semi- 

 circle of black, which parts from the root of the tail and ends 

 at the top of the thigh , the belly is white ; the ears, which are 

 three quarters of an inch long, and a quarter of an inch in 

 breadth, are smooth, have no hair inside and very little outside, 

 and are rounded at the extremity ; the nose projects three 

 quarters of an inch beyond the under jaw 5 the mustachios, 

 or feelers, are about an inch and a half in length, some of the 

 hairs directed backward and some forward from the nose.* 



says, the Arabs call the presents pecies garbuka; but Bruce contradicts him, 

 and says, its name in all the East is jerboa or yerboa, the letter j being some- 

 times pronounced like y. It is the two-footed rat of ancient writers. (See 

 Herodotus, Melp. sect. 192 ; Theophrastus apud Elian, Hist. Anim. lib. xiv. 

 cap. 26 ; and Aristotle, de Mareb Egypt, lib. vi.) 



* Edwards certainly exaggerates in saying the head of the jerboa very 

 much resembles that of a rabbit. 



