140 
POUCHED JERBOA MOUSE. 
After a while, as the party had to take up the line of march again, he 
with some difficulty frightened it, when with a bound or two it reached its 
hole and disappeared underneath the large stone, but almost immediately 
came out again ; and so great was its curiosity that as the party left the 
spot it seemed half inclined to follow them. 
These animals appear to prefer the sides of stony hills which afford them 
secure places to hide in, and they can easily convey their food in their 
cheek-pouches to their nests. 
The young when half grown exhibit the markings of the adults to a 
great extent. This species is crepuscular if not nocturnal, and was gene- 
rally seen towards dusk, and occasionally in such barren deserts that it 
was difficult to imagine what it could get to feed on. A dead one was 
picked up one day while the party were traversing a portion of the great 
Colorado desert, where nothing could grow but clumps of cacti of different 
species, and not a drop of water could be found. The only living 
creatures appeared to be lizards of several kinds, and one or two snakes : 
the party felt surprised as they toiled on over the sun-baked clay, and still 
harder gravel, to find the little animal in such a locality. 
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 
Dr. J. L. Le Conte found this species on the river Gila, and farther 
south, where he procured several specimens. 
J. W. Audubon saw the Dipodomys Phillippsii in crossing the Cordil- 
leras, in Sonora on the Gila, in the Tulare valley, and in various other 
parts of California. Its southern limits are undetermined, but it seems 
not to exist north of California. 
GENERAL REMARKS. 
Mr. Gray described this species, in the Annals and Magazine of Natural 
History, vol. vii. p. 521 ; he considered it the American representative of 
the African Jerboas, although, as he remarks, it differs from them in being 
provided with cheek pouches opening externally. 
Our drawing was made from a beautiful specimen in the British Museum, 
which was the first one brought under the notice of naturalists, and the 
original of Mr. Gray’s description of this singular animal ; it was pro- 
cured near Real del Monte, in Mexico. 
