THE TAGUAN FLYING SQUIRREL. 



Tin. U-autiful and ani\.- ^roupof animals of which our Squirrel is so familiar an example, 

 are found in almost < v. i\ i.ni..n <>f the globe, and, with one or t \vo exceptions, live almost 

 i-xclusiv.-h among tlie branches of trees. In unl.-i t. .-nable them to maintain a linn clasp 

 up. .n i li<- l-i-.iii. -h.- and l-aik, tli. -\ .nv furnished with long, linger-like toes upon the fore-feet, 

 which are ann.-d with .sharp curved daws. 



In tin- Flying Squirrels, of which the TAGUAK is a good example, the skin of the Hanks is 

 in a in. -ih.Ml similar to that which has already been noticed in the 1'etuurists of 





TAOVAS-fttromfi f*< 



Australia and the Colugo of Java. This skin is so largely developed, that when the animal is 

 -itting at its ease, its paws but just appear from under the soft folds of the delicate and fur- 

 clad membrane. Wh-n the creature intends to make one of its marvellous leaps, it stretches 

 all its four limbs to their fiillt .-xt.-nt. an.l is upborne through the air on the parachute-1 

 expansion which .-xt-nds along its sides. This animal is a native of India, where it is tolerably 

 common. 



It is rather a large species, as its total length is nearly three feet, the tail occupying i 

 one foot eight inches, measured to the extremity of th- long hairs with which it is i thickly 

 clothed. The general color of this animal is a clear chestnut, deepening into brown on the 

 back, and becoming more ruddy on, the sides. The little Dinted ears are covered with short 

 and soft fnr of a delicate brown, and the tail is heavily clad w ith bushy hairs, grayish-black on 

 the basal portions of that member, and sooty-black towards the extremity. The parachute 



