NOTES ON THE MAMMALS OF LAKE MAXINKUCKEE 1 5 



Occasionally, in the evening twilight or on moonlight nights, a 

 Flying Squirrel may be seen sailing in a gentle downward curve 

 from one tree to another, the start being made from well toward 

 the top of one tree and the place of alighting at a much lower point 

 on the other. There is something ghost-like in this gliding flight; 

 it is so unlike that of any other of our native creatures; there is 

 not only an entire absence of fluttering wings, but perfect silence. 



While in their nests these squirrels do more or less squeaking. 

 On the night of September 21, 1903, one or more were heard in trees 

 in the Arlington hotel grounds. On November 27, 1904, the acci- 

 dental burning of two cottages on Long Point ignited some of the 

 surrounding trees, one of which contained a family of Flying 

 Squirrels. They did not leave their nest until fatally burned 

 when they leaped to the ground. On August 19, 1906, while rid- 

 ing along a road west of the lake a squeaking sound attracted atten- 

 tion to the base of a small scrub oak at the roadside. On examining 

 the place four young Flying Squirrels were discovered. They were 

 quite small and wholly naked. A storm had probably blown them 

 from their nest which was a large, globular affair, made of fibrous 

 material, situated in a crotch of the tree. While we were only a 

 few feet away, one of the parent squirrels, presumably the mother, 

 came down the tree and, taking the young in her mouth, carried 

 them, one at a time, back to the nest. 



On April 16, 1890, one of us found a nest containing two young 

 Flying Squirrels, south of Terre Haute. The nest was in a wood- 

 pecker's hole about 20 feet from the ground in a maple. Upon 

 striking the tree the mother squirrel came out of the hole and flew 

 to another tree near-by, where she remained watching. Breaking 

 the snag at the hole the two young were removed and placed on the 

 ground. After a little time the old squirrel flew back to the snag 

 and seemed much disturbed by the changed appearance of things. 

 She looked all about and, finally discovering the young on the ground, 

 she came down, and taking one in her mouth, carried it to the top 

 of the snag from which she then flew with the young in her mouth 

 to another tree about 30 feet away. She ran up that tree to a 

 height of about 50 feet where she found a knot-hole in which she 

 placed the little one. In a moment she reappeared and flew back 

 to the snag for the other. In the meantime I had stationed myself 



