Rural School Leaflet 



1249 



Flying squirrel 



The little flying squirrels, only nine inches long, are quite unlike the 

 other squirrels. They have what none of the others have — broad, 

 furry membranes connecting their front and hind legs. With their beauti- 

 ful bright eyes, their drab backs somewhat shaded with russet, and their 

 white under parts, they are as dainty animals as one could wish to see. 

 They live on nuts, seeds, and buds, and also on beetles and perhaps other 

 insects. Occasionally they eat flesh. Their nests are in hollow trees, 

 often in deserted woodpeckers' holes. Here several of them often 

 live together, and they may be aroused easily and driven out by hammering 

 on the tree trunk. In accordance with their nocturnal habits they come 

 out just at nightfall, climb to the top of a tree, and sail to the foot of 

 another tree perhaps fifty yards away. Then, climbing this tree, they 

 glide to another. They live in seclusion during the severest weather, 

 but it is not known that they regularly hibernate. The young, numbering 

 from three to six, are bom early in April. 



Chipmunk 



The chipmunks are ten inches in length and reddish or yellowish brown 

 in color, with five black and two whitish stripes down their backs. They- 

 are very fond of nuts, preferring beechnuts; but they will eat roots, com, 

 and other grain, and the larvae of certain insects. They put away large 

 stores in their burrows, for they stay in winter quarters from the middle 

 of November until March or April. Sometimes they come out and look 

 around on a bright winter day. From one nest occupied by four chip- 

 munks there was once taken a quart of beaked hazelnuts, a peck of acorns, 

 some Indian com, two 

 quarts of buckwheat, 

 and a very small 

 quantity of grass 

 seeds. All this they 

 had industriously 

 gathered and carried 

 to their storehouse in 

 the large pouches of 

 their cheeks. They 

 often have temporary 

 " caches " carefully 

 hidden among the 

 leaves for one of their 

 " cheek-loads." The chipmunks are diurnal in habit and stay on the 

 ground most of the time, except when some venturesome sprite goes after 

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Flying squirrels 



