CLASS I. MAMMALIA: ORDER 7. RODEXTIA. 353 



Greet pter on. wing, and rnus. a mouse, and is used to designate certain animals called Taguans. 

 and known as Flying-Squirrel*, but which might very properly he called Flying-MarmoU. They 

 are found in Asia and the adjacent isles, the flying-squirrels similar to those common in Amer- 

 ica, called Assapans*. being of a differ. - _ -. Sciuropterus, which will be hereafter 1. I 



The form of the head in the genus Pteronjys is like that of the marmots, but the ears are 

 smaller, the body is more slender, and the tail is long and plume-like. A thin membra: 

 ered with fur, extends from the fore to the hind-legs on each side, this beii _ - id out a: 

 ing as a kind of parachute to support them in leaping from tree to tree, by which means thev 

 perform a kind of flight. They are very lively, running about on the trees with _ ivaoitv, 



in this res res g :he squirrels. Most of them are distinguished by the brilliancy of their 



hoes. ] - that of the marmots, and flying-marmot* would in fact be their appropriate 



the term f ying-squirrel being more - of the smaller spe : -. 



TL 'treat Flt:n -S . :keel. P sagitta. is the Flying-Cat of Xieuhoff: the Fells volans of 

 Brisson, and the Taguan or Grand Fcureuil Volant of Buffon. It has a small rounded head; 

 en upper lip: small blunt ears: two small warts at the outmost corner of each eye. with hairs 

 grov>- _- tt of them: neck short: four toes on the fore-feet, and instead of a thumb, a slender 

 bone, two and a half inches long, _ under the lateral membrane. _ to si I 



thence to the hind-legs extends the membrane, which is broad, and a continuation of the skin of 

 the sides and belly; the membrane extends along the fore-legs, and stret - >ut near the joint 

 in a winged form: five toes on the hind-feet, and on all the I - sharp, mpi ssed, bent claws: 

 tail covered with long hairs di-' - horizontally: color of the hea . . and tail, a bright bay 



in some parts inclining: to orange: breast and belly of a j - - white; _:... from nose to 



tail, s • • n inches: tail, fifteen inches. This g] - inhabit*. Java and others of the Indian 

 Islands. It leaps from b I tree as if it flew, and it is said will catch hold of the I . irith 

 its tail. 



The Brilliaxt Pteromys. P. nitidus. is of a deep chesb I lor above and bright red below; 

 the body is fifteen inch - _\ and the tail seventeen inches. It is found in Java and Borneo. 

 The P. gen'dabrct, P. elegam, and P. lepidus. resemble the P. sagitta, and are found in Java, 

 The P. petaurista is found in the Moluccas and Philippines: the P. inornatus in Cashmere. All 

 these animals appear to repose in holes in the trees during the day. and at night to go forth and 

 feed on fruits and vegetables. Some of them hibernate, but their habits are not fully known, 

 and there are doubt a - ■ eral sp- - >t vet verified. 



6e» • SCIUBOPTEKUS: Sciuropterus. — This include - I Assapans. or true Flying- Squir- 



which have a form resembling: the common squirrels, with a lateral membrane similar to 



that of the Pteromys. By means of this they make enormous leaps, sometimes of fifty yards or 



more, from tree to b - :ally at fir^: - _-. ind then rising and alighting, in the manner 



ofbh • t to 1 rminate their flight. Thev are easily distinfrnished from the Pteromys by the 



natc: - are remarkablv full: the cranium is formed like that of the squirrels, and not 



like • - : the marmots: the side membranes terminate near the wrist with a rounded lobe, 



- of the pteromys end in a projecting point: and finally, the molar teeth resemble those- 



- more than those of the pteromvs, having the - - :ies of the enamel much more- 



. plicated. 5 - are found in the temperate parts of Europe. Asia and America, but nc: 



- " :- s, the chief seat of t. I j-marm --. 

 The V r European Flttkg-Sqorrel. v 5 icus, called by some Datura sis St ur- 



toudte. is the Sciurus volams of Linnaeus: the Polatutha a: I fa of the Russi:. 

 Polatoucht of the French: K'onig der Grauwerfc. or King of the Squirrels, of the Germ.. 

 The eyes are prominen:. tl - emg edged with black; the membra:. - base of 



' -" t, forming a lar^e wincr-like expansion on each side: tail full and rounded at the es- 

 : a fine grav color: beneath, pure whiti ; total ngbV about -.of 



*hich the tail, measured to the end of the hair, is somewhat more than- five. It is a nativ. 

 "inland. Lapland, the Russian dominions from Livonia to the river Kolyma, or Kowyona. in the 

 Wrth-east : Siberia. This species haunts the woody, mountainous country. _ a the buds 



:«d fruit of the birch-trees, and on the cones of the fir tribe. It is a solitary animal, and d> • - 

 Vol. I. — 15 



