Uncommon Pets 199 
cage may be of half-inch mesh galvanised 
wire netting; but bird-cage wire has a neater 
appearance and gives a better view of the 
- inmates, and by some is to be preferred on 
that account. ‘The floor of the cage must 
be covered with an inch or two of sand, 
as the natural habitats of jerboas are the 
arid and desert districts where, so exactly 
does the colour of their fur harmonise with 
their surroundings, that they are seldom 
noticed, although very numerous. They are 
gregarious animals, and, if possible, a pair 
should be obtained, so that the one can 
have the benefit of the other's company. 
The food must be as dry as possible, PRG ee ; 
the staple diet beimg oats and millet-seed, RAT KANGAROO. 
but corn and almost any grain can be 
given. Green food is relished, but care must be taken to free it from all external 
moisture. Water is freely taken. Jerboas in a wild state are nocturnal in their habits, 
and are so to a great extent in captivity, usually sleeping during the greater part of 
the day and making their appearance in the afternoon, being most lively between the 
hours of six and ten in the evening. A small branch of wood serves to amuse them for 
hours, as they like stripping the bark off. 
Another species of jerboa is the Kirghiz jerboa (Alactaga decumana). ‘The two 
specimens of this jerboa possessed by the writer were more strictly nocturnal in their 
habits than the Egyptian species, seldom emerging from their sleeping box until deep 
twilight had set in; in other respects, however, there were no noticeable differences of 
habits. They greatly relished a supply of insect food, such as grasshoppers and meal- 
worms, and insects of some kind should be given at intervals; their staple diet is the 
same as for the Egyptian jerboa. Neither species, when asleep, should be disturbed, 
as nothing is more detrimental to the well-being of a pet animal than to be 
continually pulled out of its sleeping box to be “shewn off.’ The interior of the 
sleeping box should be filled with the freshest of clean hay, frequently renewed. Both 
kinds of jerboas gnaw the hay down into a convenient length to suit their comfort. 
The jerboas are all found in the Eastern World, their relations in the West being 
known as the Kangaroo Rats (Dipodomys). These animals are not so commonly 
imported as they might be, consequently they are more expensive; three to five, or 
even more, pounds would not be an out-of-the-way price to pay for them. Their 
habits, both when wild and in a captive state, correspond very closely to those of 
the true jerboas, and the management in captivity is identical. The only one that 
the writer has had experience of is Dipodomys phillipsi, the species found to the east 
of the Rockies. In disposition it is as readily tamed as the jerboa, but does not appear 
so playful in its habits; it drinks much less frequently than either the Hgypuan or 
Karghiz jerboa. 
An animal which is occasionally sold as the Kangaroo Rat is the common Rat 
Kangaroo (Potorius tridactylus), but this creature is a native of Eastern Australia. 
Unfortunately, from a pet-keeping point of view, it possesses a great disadvantage, 
inasmuch as it is well-nigh untamable. Rat kangaroos are to a great extent nocturnal i 
their habits, and leaves, grass, roots, and bulbs form their diet. By the kindness of 
Mr. Hamlyn, the well-known animal importer of St. George’s Street Kast, I am able to 
give a photograph of one in his possession. 
