Flying Squirrel 



When raised from the nest they become perfectly accustomed to the 

 presence of human beings, and seem to delight in clinging to one's 

 clothing and taking refuge in any convenient pocket. 



Professor F. H. King, in describing some that he kept in his 

 house, says: "I have never known wild animals that became so 

 perfectly familiar and confiding as these young squirrels did; and they 

 seemed to get far more enjoyment from playing upon my person than 

 in any other place, running in and out of pockets and between my 

 coat and vest. After the frolic was over they always esteemed it a 

 great favour if I would allow them to crawl into my vest in front and 

 go to sleep there, where they felt the warmth of my body; and it was 

 very rare indeed during the first six months that they failed to ask the 

 privilege; indeed, they came to consider themselves abused if turned 

 out. When forced to go to sleep by themselves, the attitude taken 

 was amusing: the nose was placed upon the table or other object it 

 happened to be upon, and then it would walk forward over it, rolling 

 itself up until the nose almost protruded from between the hind legs; 

 the tail was then wrapped in a horizontal coil about the feet, and the 

 result was an exquisite little ball of life in soft fur which it seemed 

 almost sacrilegious to touch." 



Species and Varieties of Flying Squirrels 



We have two very different flying squirrels in the East, each 

 divisible into two slightly different races. 



/. Southern Flying Squirrel. Sciuropterus volans Linnaeus. De- 

 scription and range as above. 



2. Florida Flying Squirrel. S. volans querceti Bangs. More russet 



than the preceding, somewhat rusty on the under parts. 

 Range. Replaces the last in southern Georgia and Florida. 



3. Northern Flying Squirrel. S. sabrinus macrotis Mearns. Larger 



than the above (11.2s inches long), with the fur of the under 

 parts always gray at the base. Colour, cinnamon brown in 

 summer, sooty brown in winter, a black ring around the eye. 



Range. Maine, southern Canada, and the mountains of New 

 York (probably also in the Alleghanies). 

 f Severn River Flying Squirrel. S. sabrinus (Shaw). Still larger 

 (14 inches long), with shorter and broader ears. 



Range. Arctic America to northern Canada. 



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