152 COMMON FLYING 



also occurs in some districts of Poland. In many 

 parts of Asia it is far more common, and abounds 

 in the birch and pine woods of Siberia in particu- 

 lar. It appears to have been confounded by au- 

 thors with the Virginian Flying Squirrel (S. Volu- 

 cella), but is a totally distinct species. Its colour 

 on the upper parts is an elegant pale or whitish 

 grey, and on the under parts milk-white. Its ge- 

 neral size is inferior to that of a common squirrel, 

 measuring about six inches* and a quarter to the 

 tail, which is shorter than the body, thickly fur- 

 red, of a slightly flattened form, and rounded 

 at the extremity. It is to Dr. Pallas that we owe 

 the history of this animal's manners ; little more 

 being known to preceding naturalists than its ge- 

 neral form and manner of flight, or rather spring- 

 ing, which is performed by means of an expansile 

 furry membrane, reaching from the fore-feet to 

 the hind. In order the better to manage this 

 part, the thumb of the fore-feet is stretched out 

 to a considerable length within the membrane, so 



O * 



as to appear in the skeleton like a long bony pro- 

 cess on each of the fore-feet. The Flying Squirrel 

 generally resides in the hollows of trees towards the 

 upper part ; preparing its nest of the finer mosses. 

 It is a solitary animal, and is only seen in pairs 

 during the breeding season. It rarely makes its 



* The specimen in the Leverian Museum measures about seven 

 inches to the tail, which is about four inches long. There appears 

 to be some mistake in the measures given of this species in Mr. 

 Pennant's History of Quadrupeds, where it is said to measure four 

 inches and a quarter from nose to tail, and the tail five inches. 



