294 TRESPASSERS UPON THE AIR. 



the lower part of the abdomen, exactly as in the 

 bats. 



The second point is the position assumed while 

 the animal is at rest. The ordinary monkeys, whether 

 of the Old or New World, gather themselves up into 

 as small a space as possible, just as birds tuck their 

 heads on their shoulders, and so court their sleep. 

 But the Colugo acts exactly as the bats do, and when 

 it retires to rest, it slings itself from a branch by its 

 hind legs. It is, therefore, no matter of surprise that 

 naturalists should so long have been perplexed as to 

 the real position of this extraordinary animal. 



In size the Colugo equals a large cat, and when it 

 is walking or climbing among the branches, the mem- 

 branous skin which converts it into a living para- 

 chute clings so tightly to the body by its own elasticity, 

 that it is scarcely visible. The name Galeopithecus is 

 formed from two Greek words, and literally signifies 

 weasel monkey. 



THE SQUIRREL PETAURIST, OR SUGAR SQUIRREL (PetdUTUS 



sciureus) . 



We have already seen that there are examples of 

 water trespassers among the Marsupial or Pouched 

 animals, and shall now find that several air trespassers 

 are among them. 



These animals are comprised in an Australian 

 group, which is technically named Petaurist, from a 

 Greek word signifying a rope-dancer, and alluding to 



