1825 



COMMON JERBOA. 



Length of the tail, eight inches six Hnes : 

 thickness of the tail, at its origin, two hnes. 



Total length of the fore-legs, one inch seven 

 lines : that of the great toe, one line and a half ; 

 of the second, including the nail, three lines. 



Total length of the hind-legs, six inches and 

 two lines : that of the middle toe, including the 

 nail, ten lines : that of the spur, one line." 



The females have eight nipples, the position 

 of which is remarkable : they are situated more 

 externally than in other quadrupeds : the first pair 

 is beyond the bend of the shoulders ; and the last 

 is rather under the thigh than under the belly ; 

 the two other pairs, being on the same line, are 

 consequently placed rather under the flanks than 

 under the body. 



" The Jerboa appears to be a prolific animal ; 

 for it is exceedingly numerous in Arabia, Nubia, 

 Egypt, and Barbary. During my stay in, or ra- 

 ther during my excursions in Egypt, I opened 

 several Jerboas. My principal aim was to ascer- 

 tain that they had only one stomach, and con- 

 sequently could not possess the power of rumin- 

 ating. This was an answer to one of the ques- 

 tions that Michaelis, professor at Gottingen, had 

 addressed to the travellers sent to the East by the 

 king of Denmark, viz. Whether the Jerboa was a 

 ruminating an'mal? A question arising from the 

 same mistake which had occasioned the con- 

 founding the Jerboa with the Daman Israel, or 

 Saphan of the Hebrews. , 



The sand and ruins that surround moden; 



