THE FLYING-SQUIRREL. 



WITH the exception of Australia, 

 Squirrels are found in all parts 

 of the globe; they extend tol- 

 erably far north and are found 

 in the hottest parts of the South. As 

 a family they are lively, quick, and nim- 

 ble in their movements, both in trees 

 and upon the ground. Flying Squirrels 

 alone being ill at ease when upon the 

 surface of the earth. In compensation 

 for this, however, they are possessed of 

 a faculty which enables them to make 

 exceedingly long leaps, which they take 

 in an obliquely descending direction. 



The nocturnal Flying Squirrels, says 

 Brehm, differ from the diurnal Tree 

 Squirrels mainly in having their fore 

 and hind legs connected by a wide fly- 

 ing-membrane. This membrane acts 

 as a parachute, and enables them to ex- 

 ecute considerable leaps with ease, in 

 an inclined plane from above down- 

 wards. This membrane consists of a 

 stout skin, extending along both sides 

 of the body, thickly grown with hair on 

 the upper side, while the lower one 

 shows but a scanty covering. A bony 

 spur at the first joint of the fore-legs 

 gives especial strength to the mem- 

 brane. The tail serves as an effective 

 rudder and is always vigorous, though 

 it is not of the same conformation in 

 the different species, one group having 

 it simply bushy, while the other has the 

 hair on it arranged in two lateral rows. 

 There are also slight differences in the 

 structure of the teeth. 



The Flying Squirrel of North Amer- 

 ica, Assapan, is next to the smallest 

 variety of the whole species, the Jaguan, 

 or East Indian, being the largest, nearly 

 equaling a cat in size. 



The fur of the North American Fly- 

 ing Squirrels is exceedingly soft and 

 delicate. In captivity they suffer them- 

 selves, by day, to be gently handled, 

 making no effort to bite with their lit- 

 tle sharp teeth as other Squirrels do. 

 Overcome with sleep they lie curled up 

 in their cage, as much hidden from 



view as possible, rarely bestirring them- 

 selves before nine o'clock at night. 

 Then, " on the upper edge of the sleep- 

 ing-box, which one must give them as 

 a substitute for their nest, a round little 

 head becomes visible; the body follows 

 and soon one of the little creatures sits 

 on the narrow edge of the box in a 

 graceful Squirrel-like attitude, the fly- 

 ing membrane half folded against its 

 body, half hanging down in a soft 

 curve. The small, expanded ears move 

 back and forth as does the bewhiskered 

 muzzle, and the large, dark eyes inquis- 

 itively scan the cage and surroundings. 

 If nothing suspicious is visible, the As- 

 sapan glides down like a shadow, 

 always head first, whether the plane be 

 inclined or vertical, without any noise, 

 without a perceptible movement of the 

 limbs, the greater part of which is cov- 

 ered with the membrane. It proceeds 

 on the woven ceiling of the cage, back 

 downward, as if it walked on level 

 ground; it rope-dances over thin 

 twigs with unsurpassed precision and 

 agility at a uniform speed; spreading 

 its membrane to the full, it darts 

 through the whole space of the cage 

 like an arrow, and the next instant 

 seems glued to the perch, without hav- 

 ing made an effort to regain its balance. 



During all this moving about it picks 

 up a crumb, a nut, a grain of meat from 

 its dish; drinks, sipping more than it 

 laps, washes its head with saliva, combs 

 its hair with the nails of its fore-feet, 

 smooths it with the soles of its small 

 paws, turning, stretching, stooping all 

 the while, as if its skin were a bag in 

 which its body sits quite loosely. 



After hunger and thirst are somewhat 

 appeased, and the toilet over, a playful 

 humor succeeds. Up and down, head 

 upward or inverted, along the ceiling, 

 or the floor, running, jumping, gliding, 

 soaring, hanging, sitting, rushing ahead 

 as if it could move a thousand joints at 

 once, as if there were no such thing as 

 Sfravitv to be overcome." 



215 



