88 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
in the fpTiiig, and generally brings forth four 
or fi.ve at a time. 
The JERBOA. 
TT HIS fingukr, and, we may fay, pretty 
little animal, is a native of Egypt, Barbary, 
Paleftine, and the deferts between Balfora, 
and Aleppo. It is about the fize of a large 
rat ; has dark and full eyes, long whilkers, 
broad ereft ears, and a head like a rabbit. 
The tail is about ten inches long, at the end 
of which is a tuft of black hair, tipped with 
white. The breaft and belly are of a whit- 
iHi colour ; but all the other part of the bo- 
dy is alh-colour at the bottom, and tawny at 
the ends. The fore legs are not above an 
inch in length, with five toes on each, which 
are all furniflied with fliarp claws ; but the 
hind legs which are two inches and a 
quarter in length, and covered with fiiort 
hair, exaiSlly refemble thofe of a bird, hav- 
ing but three toes, the middle of which is 
the longeft ; they are alfo armed with lharp 
claws. 
I’liis little animal is as Angular in its mo- 
tion as in its form ; always walking or Hand- 
ing on its hind legs, and ufing the forepaws 
as hands, like the fquirrel. It will jump fix 
or feven feet from the ground, when purfu- 
ed, and run fo remarkable fwift that few 
quadrupeds 
