172 The Flying Squirrel 



nip your finger when taken in the hand, while a red 

 or gray will bite fiercely. 



My red and gray squirrels were quite tame, but 

 they always lacked the complete confidence which 

 was so apparent in the flying squirrel. The latter 

 would nestle in my hand, crawl into my pocket or up 

 my sleeve, or even go to sleep in my vest-front, evi- 

 dently enjoying the warmth of my body. This 

 natural affection and love of warmth are probably 

 the reasons why several flying squirrels live together 

 during the winter. 



My flying squirrels occupied a large cage with a 

 wheel attachment, the revolving of which seemed 

 to afford them much amusement. Sometimes both 

 squirrels would revolve the wheel together at a very 

 high rate of speed, and then, clinging to the wires, 

 ride round and round until the wheel nearly came 

 to rest. Then both would put it in motion, often 

 repeating the performance for half an hour at a time. 

 Again they would vary the entertainment by one 

 doing the work and the other the riding. In fact 

 they were apparently upon the lookout for new 

 methods and combinations of revolving the wheel, 

 and thus we were treated to a continuous and varied 

 performance. 



A single incident is sufficient to illustrate their 



