SMALLER MAMMALS OF NORTH AMERICA 



569 



Flying squirrels have 

 several notes, one of 

 which is an ordinary 

 chuck, chuck, much like 

 that of other squirrels. 

 They also utter sharp 

 squeaks and squeals when 

 angry or much alarmed, 

 and a clear musical chirp- 

 ing note, birdlike in char- 

 acter, which is frequently 

 repeated for several min- 

 utes in succession and is 

 undoubtedly a song. 



These beautiful little 

 animals become the most 

 delightful of pets, as they 

 are notable for extraor- 

 dinary playfulness and a 

 readiness to accept man 

 as a friend. Many in- 

 teresting accounts have 

 been published concern- 

 ing the affectionate at- 

 tachment they form for 

 their human hosts and 

 the amusing and tireless 

 activity they show at 

 night. By day they re- 

 main sound asleep, rolled 

 up in a furry ball in 

 some dark corner. 



They are known to have 

 a litter of from two to 

 six young in April, and 

 young are born at vari- 

 ous times throughout the 

 summer, but it is still un- 

 settled whether there is 

 more than one litter a 

 year. The mother is de- 

 voted to the young, and 

 if driven from them will 

 keep close by at the risk 

 of her life, showing much 

 anxiety and readiness to 

 do what she can to pro- 

 tect them. One instance 

 well illustrates this ma- 

 ternal care. From a nest 

 in a hollow stub the help- 

 less young were taken 

 and placed on the ground 

 at its base, while the de- 

 spoiler of the home stood 

 by to observe the result. 

 The mother soon re- 

 turned and not finding 

 her family in the nest 

 promptly located them on 

 the ground. Quickly de- 

 scending, she took one 

 in her mouth, carried it 

 to the top of the stub 

 and, launching into the 

 air, sailed to a tree thirty 

 feet away, up which she 

 carried her baby and 





e.y.s. 



TTir; TRAIL OP THU MUSKRAT 



The usual gait of tlie muskrat on land is a slow walk. The tail 

 mark is always very strongly shown (see pages 513 and 526). 



