EGYPTIAN JERBOA. 
The Jerboa, or Dipus of Linnaeus, is a ge- 
nus of animals, consisting of several species: 
the chara6lcristics of wliich are> — that they 
have tw^o cutting teeth in each jaw; two very- 
short fore legs ; two very long hind legs, re- 
•sembling those of cloven-footed water-fowl- 
and a very long tall, tufted at the end. The 
Kangaroo, some naturalists are of opinion^ 
.from it's similar conformation, ought to be 
ranged with the Jerboa, By the Greeks, the 
Jerboa was called Mu? <^/t»?: and, by the Ro- 
mans, Mus Bipes: the Arabian name, ac- 
cording to Dr. Shaw, is Jerboa, or Yerboa;, 
and Edwairds calls it the Gerbua.* 
" These animals,'^ says Buffon, <^ gene- 
rally conceal their hands or fore feet amonp" 
o 
the hair; so that, at first sight, they seem to 
have only two feet. In transpo-rting them- 
selves from place to place, they do not v,-alk^ 
or advance one foot after another, but leap 
nimbly to the distance of three or four feet* 
AVhcri 
