43 



sborb flights from place to place. Nine or ten diffevent species have 



l)een named, only two of which are found in North America, one in 



Noi'thern Europe and the remainder in Java. The small American 



flying squirrel being the only one I have seen in this neighborhood. It 



is smaller in size than any of our other squirrels. The extreme length 



of a full grown one being al)0ut ten inches, the head and body being a 



little more than five inches. The head and body are often of a mouse 



grey cslor, sides of the nose and all beneath white. On the upper side 



of the flying membrane the ]3redominating color is biown which on the 



edge is bordered with white. Its fur is very dense, short and smooth, 



much finer in texture than the other squirrels. I liave seen it stated 



that these squirrels could fly as far a,s fifty yards at a time ; perhaps 



they might do .so if their starting point were high enough. I never 



saw them fly more than half that distance, their ordinary flights 



being twen'y or thirty feet. Owing to the fret that flying squirrels 



are largely n cturnal in their habits they are less frequently seen tlian 



tliey otherwise might be, as they ai'e not so scarce as many people sup- 



j)Ose. They are easily tamed and become very amusing little pets. A 



member of the club informed me lately that he had a tame one for 



sometime which showed some sirange peculiarities, one was, that only 



at certain hours of the night did it show any activity, namely from 



about two to four o'clock, a.m. Another, was its simulatioia of death 



when it thought itself in danger or when suddenly cornered, keeping at 



the same time a sharp look out for a way to escape, and the moment 



the way appear^ed to be clear it would suddenly come to life again and 



dart away as quick as thought. Mr. Abbott, whom I have already 



quoted, states that years of familiar acquaintance with these squirrels 



have not enabled him to detect much in their habits indicative of 



intelligence, he continues, " I feel sorry to have so poor an account to 



give of the beautiful creatures, but I am compelled to say it of them, 



they are not " smart." Notwithstanding all their vivacity in their 



native hairnts and their eminently gregarious habits, they do not 



suggest by any of their movements so far as I was able to detect any 



decided indication of that sociability characteristic of some of the other 



squirrels. Each on the contrary jumps, inms and flies solely on his 



own account, associated together indeed but never acting in concert." 



