The Flying Squirrel 163 
and from the summit of a tree springs lightly into the 
air, and then glides silently away, always in a slightly 
descending direction, until a movement, probably of 
FLYING SQUIRREL 
both body and tail, inclines it upward, and it alights 
gently upon the object for which it set out. The tail, 
being thin and flat with closely set silken hairs, prob- 
ably serves a double purpose on these short flights,— 
