176 



SCIUIUD^. 



extended, a position it is fond of in sultry weather. During the night- 

 time it is incessantly on the move. In spite of its flying paraphernalia, 

 the Oral is by no means so agile as other squirrels ; its pace on the 

 ground is a hobbling or hopping kind of gallop, nor is it particularly 

 nimble even in trees, the parachute flapping about and impeding 

 its movements in moving from branch to branch. In its wild state it 

 scrambles in this manner all over a tree, and when wishing to pass on to 

 another at some distance, does not descend to the ground, but leaping 

 from the topmost branches sails through the air by means of the 

 pai-achute, and reaches the lower part or trvink of the adjacent tree. 

 These leaps or flights can be extended, I am told, to ten yards or 

 upwards, always of course in a diagonal and lowering direction. I myself 

 have never witnessed them." 



I have on several occasions seen both this species and the next take 

 flights, and on one occasion an individual of the present species went over 

 a distance, from tree to tree, of above sixty yards. Of course it was very 

 close to the ground when it neared the tree, and the last few feet of its 

 flight were slightly upwards, which I have also noticed at other times. 



" The voice of the Oral," says Tickell, " is seldom heard. It is a weak, 

 low, soft monotone, quickly repeated, so low that in the same room you 

 require to listen attentively to distinguish it. It is to the Koles a sound 

 ominous of domestic aflliction. When angry the Oral seldom bites, but 

 scratches with its fore-claws, grunting at the same time like a guinea- 

 pig." The fur of this species is, when in good order, very beautiful and 

 soft, and is highly prized. 



161. Pteromys inornatus. 



Is. Geoffroy, Zool. Yoynge de Jacquemont, pi. IV. — Blytii, Cat. 

 293. — P. albiventer, Gray? — Knsi gngar, Kashmiri, i.e. the Flying rat. 



The "White-bellied Flying Squirrel 



Descr. — Above grizj^led reddish-brown, or dark gray with a rufous tinge 

 and white speckled, the sides, parachute, and outer edge of limbs darker, 

 nearly maroon-red; the head, neck, and breast light grayish-rufous; cheeks 

 gray ; chin and throat white ; lower parts from the breast white, faintly 

 tinged with rufous on the belly, and more strongly on the lower surface of 

 tlic parachute, the posterior outer edge of which has a border of grayish- 



