104 Quadrupedi 
THE JERBOA. (Dipus cegyptius.) 
The principal peculiarity of this animal consists in its 
having very short fore legs, and very long hinder ones: 
a bird divested of its feathers and wings, and jumping 
upon its legs, would give us the nearest resemblance to 
the figure of a Jerboa when pursued. It uses, however, 
all its four feet upon ordinary occasions, and it is only 
when pursued that it presses its fore feet close to its 
body, and leaps on its hind ones. The ancients called 
it the two-footed rat. This creature is about the size of 
a rat ; the head resembles that of a rabbit, with long 
whiskers ; the tail is ten inches long, and terminated by 
a tuft of black hair. The fur of the body is tawny, 
except the breast and throat, and part of the belly, 
which are white. The Jerboa is very active and lively, 
and jumps and springs, when pursued, six or seven feet 
from the ground, with the assistance of its tail ; but if 
this useful member be in any manner injured, the 
activity of the Jerboa is proportionately diminished ; 
and one which had been accidentally deprived of its tail, 
was found unable to leap at all. It burrows like the 
rabbit, and feeds like the squirrel : it is a native of 
Egypt and the adjacent countries, and is also found in 
eastern Europe. 
