THE JERBOA.
(TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR.]
SIR,—The letter from Horace Walpole, quoted by "H. T." a propos of my description of the jerboa, is very interesting. It is curious that he, like all the natural history writers, speaks of its " timidity "—whilst my own experience is, as I have said, that this strange and amusing little creature apparently knows no fear. Since you kindly published my letter, I have had some correspondence with one of your readers, relating to another pet jerboa, entirely agreeing with my description of 'Puck's' ways and doings, and alluding to other characteristics into which I did not enter, fearing to make my story too long. As my correspondent says, one might write pages about this singular little animal, who, coming from the wilds of an African desert, can so readily adapt himself to the surroundings of civilised life. She tells of her ' Jerry's ' delight in a box of sand, and I may say that, as soon as 'Pack' was supplied with a similar playground, he adopted it at once as his especial area, making a most comical sort of stage progress around and about it, holding his long legs very close to his body till he looked scarcely bigger than a mouse, and so jerking himself hither and thither by short steps, as if to eke out the space, instead of, according to his custom on the floor, flashing with incredible swiftness to and fro. In connection with this same "flashing," I may add that after flying round and doubling upon himself in ecstasies of enjoyment for some moments, he will remain suddenly stationary, and presently he will be observed stretched at fall length on his side, the white far of the under parts of the body rendering his movements plainly visible, and these are sufficiently astonishing to any one first beholding him. With lightning speed he flings out his long bind-legs now backwards now forwards, again and again, in regular rotation, until satisfied with his stretch, when he will sit up and calmly dress his tail, " wash " his face with his deft little hands, and otherwise complete a grave and careful toilet. The tail is not "naked," nor striated as Walpole describes it in the case of the " jeribo " brought by Mr. Conway to Lady Ailesbury. The hair is very short and close, except where the ermine-like tuft clothes it towards the end. The suggested likeness to a thrush in certain positions is very apt; so also the combined resemblance to "a squirrel, a hare, a rat, and a monkey," but I suppose that no description can exactly describe this peculiar little animal, the Hebrew name for which is the same as that for mouse. It is quite true that the jerboa never drinks. Succulent herbage supplies the needed moisture. I believe it can live for a long time on dry food alone, but I should not like to subject my pet to the
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