54: RAMBLES ABOUT HOME. 



with their own kind, they tried to keep up with them 

 and " fly," but the most that they could do was to exe- 

 cute a very graceful dive. These two non-flying squir- 

 rels were both adults when captured, but died in a few 

 days after being caged. 



Years of familiar acquaintance with these squirrels 

 have not enabled me to detect much in their habits in- 

 dicative of intelligence ; and it is for this principally that 

 I look in studying animal life. I feel sorry to have so 

 poor an account to give of these beautiful creatures, but 

 I am compelled to say it of them they are not " smart." 

 Notwithstanding all their vivacity when in their native 

 haunts, and their eminently gregarious habits, they do 

 not suggest by any of their movements, so far as I could 

 ever detect, any decided indication of that sociability 

 characteristic of the ground-squirrels or chipmunks (Ta- 

 mias). Each, on the contrary, jumps, runs, flies, solely 

 on his own account, associated together indeed, but never 

 acting in concert. Their several squeaky cries, too, are 

 quite as frequent when they are alone as when associated 

 with their fellows. Thus, they are really devoid, to me 

 at least, of the most attractive features of animal life. 



Flying-squirrels do not pass into a prolonged hiber- 

 nating sleep, with the regularity characteristic of some 

 other mammals. They store up a goodly quantity of 

 nuts and acorns, which are stowed away in a hollow 

 of some large tree ; and from this magazine they draw 

 their rations pretty regularly, unless the weather should 

 be intensely cold. Even when snow covers the ground 

 they sometimes leave their nests, for I have often caught 

 them, in January, in an ordinary box-trap set for rabbits. 



Their nests are often in one tree, while their food- 

 supply is stored in another near by. The nests are al- 

 ways abundantly supplied with soft materials, and some- 



