460 THE ARIEL PETAURUS. 
to the root of the tail. The head is somewhat darker than the rest of the body. The 
under parts of the body are nearly white. 
Its long and bushy tail is covered with a profusion of very long, full, soft hair, ereyish- 
brown above, and of a beautiful white underneath. The extremely long tail with which 
these animals are furnished appears to be of exceeding service to them in balancing their 
bodies as they make their desperate leap through space, and may also be useful in “aiding 
them to modify the original direction of their sweep through the air. 
This supposition is strengthened by the fact, that many lone-tailed animals employ 
that member for the same purpose when they are perched in any critical position where 
an accurate balance is needful. I have seen a large spider-rnonkey—the same animal 
whose exploits have already been recorded on page 112—employ her long prehensile tail for 
the same purpose. She was seated upon a loose horizontal cord, holding as usual by her 
hands and tail. But when I gave her an apple, she removed both her hands from the 
cord, grasping it firmly with her hinder feet, and then permitted her tail to hang its full 
length, so that she could balance herself by swinging it from side to side, ace ording to the 
necessity of the moment. 
This was the more remarkable, as the animal is noted for the pertinacity with which 
it erasps any neighbouring object with its tail, and never likes to move without securing 
itself by its tail to the various objects as it goes along, or even to the string by which it 
is led. 
The Sugar Squirrel, like the other Petaurists, is a nocturnal animal, and is seldom 
seen in the daytime. During the hours of daylight it remains concealed in one of the 
hollow branches of the enormous trees that grow im its native country, and can only be 
detected in its retreat by the marvellous organs of vision with which the native 
Australians are gifted. As soon as evening comes on, the Sugar Squirrels issue from 
their darksome caverns, and immediately become very frolicsome, darting from tree to 
tree, and going through the most extraordinary and daring evolutions with admirable 
ease. 
It seems to be a gamesome little animal, and fond of the society of its own species, 
although it does not appear to respond very readily to the caresses or advances of human 
playfellows. Being fond of society, the Sugar Squirrels associate in small companies as 
soon as they emerge from their retreats, and thus are enabled to enjoy their graceful 
pastime to their hearts’ content. Any cage, however, must be most ape to these 
active little creatures, who are accustomed to sweep through very considerable spaces im 
their leap. Mr. Bennet remarks, that the Sugar Squirrel has been known to leap fairly 
across a river forty yards in width, starting from an elevation of only thirty feet. 
Even in captivity they retain their playfulness, and as soon as night brings their 
expected day, they awake from the heavy lethargy which oppresses them during the 
hours of light, and uncoiling themselves from the very comfortable attitude in which 
they sleep, they begin to be very lively, and to traverse their cage with great agility, 
chasing one another about their residence, and leaping as far as the confined space will 
permit them. 
In climbing and leaping, as well as in grasping the branches towards which they aim 
their flight, the creatures are ereatly aided by the manner in which the thumb of the 
hinder feet is set on the foot, so as to be opposable to the others, thus enabling the 
creature to clasp the branches in the same manner as the quadrumana. 
THE beautiful little animal which has been called by the expressive name of ARIEL, is 
about the size of a small rat, and in the hue of the upper portions of the body is not 
unlike that animal. 
The colour of the fur upon the upper portions of the body is a light brown, which 
darkens considerably upon the parachute membrane. On the under surface it is white, 
the white fur just turning over the edge of the parachute, and presenting a pretty contrast 
with the dark brown colour of its upper surface. The tail is nearly of the same colour 
as the body, with the exception of the tip, which is dark. On account of its graceful 
movements, and the easy undulating sweep of its passage through the air, it has earned 
