UNCOMMON PETS. 
The first of a series of articles on the Care and Keep of Animals in Captivity. 
By P. WELLINGTON FARMBOROUGH, F.Z.8., F.E.S., BTC. 
I—JERBOAS, KANGAROO RATS, AND RAT KANGAROOS. 
A here keeping of pets is almost as old as the existence of mankind. It is a natural 
tendency of the human race to subjugate to its will, either by force or kindness, 
captive animals of all kinds; and even to-day, where civilization has not as yet made 
any progress, explorers have found that many savage races have in their villages or 
habitations tamed animals caught in the neighbouring plains or jungles which have no 
uses in the scale of domestic economy as sources of food supply or of services as 
beasts of burden. The writer, in the early years of his attempts at keeping what—for 
want of a better term—may be described as “uncommon pets,” had many failures and 
disappointments by reason of there being no literature on the subject to which he could 
refer for information; there were plenty of manuals on rabbits, guinea-pigs, pigeons, 
fancy mice and such-like, but nothing whatever on animals non-indigenous to this 
country, and his only means of obtaining information was by making enquiries at the 
various Zoos—both at home and abroad, principally the latter—when visiting them, 
and also by asking questions from travelling menagerie people, who, however, seldom 
gave any information of a rehable character. 
It is with a view of assisting would-be owners of animals not often seen in 
captivity, excepting in zoological gardens, that this short series is being written, that 
they may be enabled to know where to obtain uncommon pets, how much they will 
have to pay for them, how to keep them, and on what to feed them, besides their 
management in general. 
There are several species of Jerboas, but the one most often imported, and 
therefore the most familiar of these little animals, is the Egyptian jerboa (Dipus 
jaculus). As a pet it can be most strongly recommended. It is gentle and playful, 
of quaint appearance, prettily coloured, and attractive in its movements, hopping about 
with bird-like actions. They possess the uncommon merit among foreign animals of 
being cheap—three half-crowns being about a good average price—and are not as a 
rule so difficult to procure as are some other mammals, Hagenbeck, of Hamburg, Harris, 
of Newcastle-on-Tyne, and Hamlyn, of St. 
George’s Street East, usually having speci- 
mens on hand. For its size the jerboa 
requires a rather large cage, certamly not 
less than three feet in length by two feet 
in depth, and the same in height; if more 
room can be spared and the cage made 
larger in the same proportions, so much 
the better. There is no need for a 
partitioned-off space as a sleeping apart- 
ment, a small wooden box about ten inches 
square, with a three-inch circular hole cut 
in one side, being equally, if not more, 
serviceable. Jerboas bemg true rodents, it 
is as well—as a precautionary measure—to 
‘ cover all projecting edges of woodwork 
EGYPTIAN JERBOA. with thin sheet zinc. The front of the 
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