THE JERBOAS— ALACT AG AS. 



329 



ing, although they feed on insects as well as seeds. 

 In the hard, pebbly ground the Jerboa digs tunnels 

 with many branches, but tolerably shallow, and re- 

 tires to them on the slightest alarm. 



Hahita of the In spite of their large numbers these 

 Egyptian pretty animals are rarely seen, for 

 Jerboa. they are restless and timid and at 

 the slightest noise or at the appearance of a strange 

 object they repair to, their holes in a great hurry. 

 The movements of these Jerboas succeed each other 

 with a speed bordering on the miraculous; they 

 apparently become birds. No Man can overtake a 

 Jerboa engaged in full flight. Though the Jerboa is 

 a truly nocturnal animal, and begins its wanderings 

 only.after sunset, it. may sometimes be seen in broad 

 sunlight, sitting at or playing about the entrance of 

 its burrow during the noonday heat. It exhibits an 

 indifference towards the glowing heat of the Afri- 

 can sun, which is really admirable; for hardly an- 

 other animal stirs in the desert at this time, as the 

 burning heat becomes simply unbearable even to 

 the native children of that elevated region. On the 

 other hand the Jerboa is 

 highly sensitive to cold 

 and moisture, and there- 

 fore always keeps in hid- 

 ing in its hole when the 

 weather is bad, and it may 

 temporarily enter into a 

 state of torpidity, which 

 resembles the hibernation 

 of northern animals. 



There is nothing definite 

 known about the propaga- 

 tion of the Jerboa. The 

 Arabs hunt it diligently, 

 for its flesh is much es- 

 teemed by them; they 

 catch it alive without any 

 special trouble, or kill it as 

 it comes out of its burrow. 



These animals have few 

 enemies besides Man. The 

 Fennec and the Caracal, 

 and perhaps some few 

 species of Owls are the 

 worst among the foes that 

 lurk for the Jerboas, but 



fer visibly, and ultimately die. If one gives them 

 wheat, rice, a little milk, and occasionally a grape, a 

 piece of an apple, a carrot or some other fruit, they 

 feel and keep well a long time, and their interesting 

 doings amply repay the slight attentions they need. 



THE ALACTAGAS. 



The sub- family of the Alactagas {Scirtetes) differ 

 from the true Jerboas in the structure of the skull, 

 the teeth and especially the hind-legs. A long and 

 strong metatarsal bone is there, but on both its sides 

 are smaller ones, which support rudimentary toes. 

 This arrangement renders the hind foot five-toed in 

 reality, for the large bone is connected to three toes 

 and each of the lateral bones to one toe. 



By the excellent descriptions of Pallas, Brandt 

 and others, the Alactaga of the Mongolians {Scirte- 

 tes jaculus) is the species that is best known to us. 

 This animal is of about the same dimensions as a 

 Squirrel; its body is about seven inches long, its tail 

 ten and one-half inches, and its ears are as long as 

 its head. The prominent eyes have circular pupils. 



THE ALACTAGA This inhabitant of the steppes of Asia and southeastern Europe resembles the Jer- 

 boas in many respects, biit the stronger thigh bones enable it to run on its two hind legs at a pace even more 

 rapid than that of the Jerboas. (Scirtetes jaculus.) 



the Egyptian Cobra di 

 Capello is probably more dangerous to them. This 

 :reptile lives in the same localities inhabited by the 

 Jerboas, easily penetrates into the tunnels which the 

 latter construct, and kills a great number of them. 

 How Jerboas Europeans versed in zoological mat- 

 Act in Cap- ters and living in Egypt and Algeria, 

 tiuity. often keep Jerboas. I can assert 



from my own experience that the animal affords 

 •great pleasure when kept in a cage or room. Dur- 

 ing my sojourn in Africa I was often given frorn ten 

 to twelve Jerboas at a time. I was wont to give a 

 whole chamber up to these animals, so as to be able 

 to observe their actions. The captive animals would 

 show themselves to be harmless and friendly from 

 the very first. They suffered themselves to be 

 touched, and did not try to evade any person who 

 came near them. When walking in their room 

 care was necessary to avoid stepping on them, for 

 they calmly remained sitting when one approached 

 them. Toward each other the Jerboas preserve an 

 admirably peaceful and sociable temper in captivity. 

 They are' accustomed to scanty and dry food, and if 

 ■entirely denied dry food they lose their spirits, suf- 



The hind legs 

 fore-legs. 



Range and 



Habits of the 



Alactaga. 



Crimea, Asia 



are nearly four times as long as the 



Though the Alactaga is found also 

 in southeastern Europe, especially 

 in the steppes of the Don and in the 

 is its real home. It does not range 

 farther north than fifty-second parallel of north lati- 

 tude; and in the other direction it is found as far to 

 the southeast as eastern Mongolia. 



As the Jerboa inhabits the African deserts, so does 

 the Alactaga exist in the steppes of southern Eu- 

 rope and Asia. It lives gregariously like its kind, 

 but not in great conlmunities. By day it rests hid- 

 den in its artfully constructed burrow, at nightfall it 

 sallies forth, but repeatedly returns to its hole dur- 

 ing the hours of darkness. Its movements resemble 

 those of the other members of its family which we 

 have already described. When it is unmolested and 

 engaged in its quest for food, it runs on all fours 

 after the manner of a feeding Kangaroo; but when 

 alarmed or pursued it makes its escape by long 

 bounds, using the hind-legs alone. Its leaps are said 

 to exceed those of the Jerboas; and the animal in 

 full flight proceeds with such speed that the swiftest 



