belonging to the Order Rodent ia. 129 



case of the Conilurus, and, therefore, cannot be justly compai-ed to the sin- 

 gular structures erected by that animal. I regret my inability to afford any 

 farther information upon this interesting subject ; but however imperfect the 

 description which I am at present able to give, it will at least serve to direct 

 the attention of future inquirers towards an animal, no less remarkable for 

 the apparent singularity of its external characters, than for its interesting 

 habits, and the geographical position which it occupies, in common M'ith 

 some of tiie most anomalous forms of the animal kingdom. From the ex- 

 treme rarity of this animal in European Museums, as well as from its being 

 unknown to all gentlemen connected with the colony of New South Wales 

 of whom I have inquired concerning it, it must have disappeared from the 

 inhabited parts of the country; and, indeed, it may be easily imagined that 

 a creature of such peculiar habits, would necessarily retire before the ad- 

 vance of population, more rapidly than ordinary quadrupeds. 



Genus Dipus. 



The discovery of a true Jerboa on the central downs of Australia, is an event 

 of no small interest to the Scientific Zoologist, who occupies himself with the 

 important question of the Geographical distribution of animals. Tlie arid 

 deserts of Asia and Africa, the solitary steppes of Southern Siberia, and the 

 boundless prairies of America, have been long known to be inhabited by 

 numerous species belonging to this or the closely allied genus of Gerhllles; 

 in short, wherever extensive and open plains were found to exist, whether in 

 the Old World or in the New, there likewise were found these little two-legged 

 rats, hopping along or running with great velocity upon their hind legs, and 

 appearing as if nature had expressly intended them to occupy such a situa- 

 tion. Australia alone was believed to form an exception to the general rule, 

 in this instance as in so many others : who will undertake to say that the 

 progress of discovery may not destroy its anomalous character in many other 

 instances, as it has done in this ? 



For the interesting discovery in question we are entirely indebted to Major 

 Mitchell ; and I think it only due to the enterprise and ability of that merito- 

 rious officer, whose successful researches in the interior of Continental 

 Australia have had the rare merit of enlarging the bounds of science, and at 



VOL. XVIII. s 



