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NATURAL HISTORY. 



Europe and nearly the whole of Siberia. It is an elegant little creature, about six inches in length, 

 and with a broad, flat tail, rather shorter than the body: as, indeed, is the case in all the Sciuropteri. 

 Its silky coat is in summer of a tawny brown on the upper surface, darker on the flying membrane and 

 the outsides of the limbs, beneath pure white; whilst the tail is greyish above and light rusty red beneath. 

 In winter the fur becomes longer and thicker, and appears of a silver grey colour on the upper surface. 

 The Polatouche lives in the birch woods, or in places where pines, firs, and birches grow intermingled ; 

 but the presence of the birch seems to be a necessity of its existence. It is met with singly or in 

 pairs, but always 011 the trees, sleeping during the day in its nest or in the hole of a tree, and coming 

 forth at dusk to climb and leap about the branches with great agility. In going from tree to tree 

 by the aid of its lateral membranes, it is said to cover distances of twenty or thirty yards with ease, 

 always, however, taking its leap from the highest branches of the tree it starts from, and alighting at 

 a considerably lower level. Its food consists of nuts, seeds, berries, the buds, young shoots, and 



POLATOUCHE. 



catkins of the birch, and the young shoots of pines and firs. The nest is made in the hole of a tree, 

 carefully lined with soft moss and herbage. Like the Common Squirrel, the Polatouche sleeps through 

 the cold weather, but wakes up from time to time and goes out in search of food. 



This group of Flying Squirrels is also represented on the North American continent. The 

 number of species seems rather uncertain, some authors making it two, others four; while Mr. J. A. 

 Allen regards all the North American Flying Squirrels as belonging to a single species, which 

 varies greatly in size in different localities. This species is the ASSAPAN (Sciuropterus votucella), 

 one of the smallest of its family, the length of its head and body being only from four and three- 

 quarters to seven and a half inches ; the smaller specimens (var. volucella) being found in the more 

 southern States, and even as far south as Guatemala ; and the larger ones (var. hudsonius) in more 

 northern localities. In its habits this elegant little Squirrel resembles the Polatouche, but appears 

 to be more sociable. It thrives well in confinement. 



Besides these Tree Squirrels, a few species of the Sciurine sub-family live upon the ground. In 

 Abyssinia and in other parts of Africa some curious animals, forming the genus Xerus, are found, 

 distinguished by their very small ears, longish limbs, and the singular texture of their hair, which 

 scantily clothes the skin and generally takes the form of flattened spines. They have a slender body, 

 a pointed head, and a longish tail. These animals live in elevated forest regions, and even upon 

 comparatively barren steppes, where they burrow in the ground under rocks, or among the roots of 



