392 dipodid.t:. 



262. Alactaga indica. The Afy/uiu Jerboa. 



Alactaga indica, Grm/, A. M. N. H. x, p. 262 (1842) ; Htitton, 

 J. A. S. B. XV, p. 137 ; Blanford, Eastern Persia, ii, p. 77 ; Scloier, 

 P. Z. S. 1880, p. 538. 



Alactaga bactriaua, Blijth, Cat. p, 110. 



Khani, in Afghanistan. 



The first and fifth toes of the hiud foot are subequal, about 0*8 

 inch short of the middle toe, secoud and fourth toes 0*15 short. 

 Toe-pads transversely grooved. Ears very long, exceeding the fore 

 leg in length. Fur soft. Tail twice the length of the head and 

 body. 



Colour above fa\\n or light rufeseent brown, sometimes mixed with 

 black, becoming paler and more rufous on the sides ; lower parts 

 A\"hite, and a A^hite baud across the outside of each thigh, a black spot 

 sometimes behind and inside the thigh just below the A\"bite baud. 

 Basal t\AO-thirds or more of hair on the back ashy, light or dark, 

 tips of hairs sometimes black. Tail liglit brown, the tuft of long 

 hair at the end blackish brown except the tip, Avhich is Avhite. 



Dlmtnsions of a male : head and body 3'U inches, tail \vithout 

 terminal hair 7, with terminal tuft 7*6, ear from crown of head 

 !•", hiud foot aud tarsus 2*2; basal length of skull 1, zygomatic 

 breadth 0-85. 



Distrihution. Afghanistan, South-eastern Persia, aud Northern 

 Baluchistan. Not unconnnou on the plains south of Quetta at an 

 elevation of about (JOOO feet. 



Habits. According to Huttou this jerboa is abundant in the 

 stouy plains of Afghanistan, burrowing deeply. When unearthed 

 it bounds away with surprising agility on its hiud legs. It is 

 thoroughly nocturnal, sleeping soundly all day. It retires to its 

 burrow in October aud remains dormant till the following April. 

 It is easily tamed. ]Major Money, who sent a li\ing specimen to 

 the Zoological (hardens, London, observed that this jerboa appeared 

 not to require water in its natural state, though it drank in cap- 

 tivity. It fed on green wheat, rice, lucerne or maize, raw potatoes, 

 gi'am or other grain, and dry biscuit. 



The name given to this jerboa by Gray is very objectionable, as 

 the species cannot be said to occur in India. Blyth's name hactriuna 

 is scarcely better. From the nearly allied A. acoation, Pallas, the 

 present species is distinguished by its proportionally longer ears 

 and tail. 



Several other species of Alactaga and of Uipus, the latter ha\ ing 

 grooved incisors and only three toes on each hiud foot, occur in 

 Central Asia. 



