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MosoGiJAPHS OP xoirrn American rodentia. 



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1772,* P\)rsterf desciibed tho Flying Squirrel of Hudson's Bay as the 

 "Greater Flying Squiirel", which, lie says, is "vastly different .... in sizeiud 

 color" from the Flying Squirrel of New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. 

 This is Pennant's "Severn River Squirrel", and the ^^Sciuitis vol « major'^ 

 of Pallas, t to which Gmelin, in 1788, gave the name Sciurus hudsonius. 

 Shaw, in 1801, changed Gmelin's name to Sciurus sahinm in consequence 

 of the name hudsonius having been also applied tu the Chickaree, or Red 

 Squirrel {Sciurus hudntmiun). As, however, the Flying Squirrels and the 

 Chickarees proved to belong to different genera, this double use of the name 

 hwhoiiius becomes tenable. 



The smaller Southern Flying Squirrel was described by I'ernandez, 

 from Mexican specimens, umler the native name Quimichpntlan, in 1651, 

 and as early as 1743 it was figured and described by Catesby from Carolina 

 specimens. To this species (in the mean time also described by Brixson, 

 Edwards, Pennant, Buffon, and others), Pallas gave the name Sciurus volu- 



' AiniinK tbo many earlier refereDciB to this animal, which have, however, no direct bearing upon 

 Its teclinical history, are many that are ii'teresting from their qiiaiot character. Tims, the celebrated 

 Captain John Sniitlli, in his Account of Virf^liia, published originally as early as IC06, in alluding to this 

 animal, snys : — "A small beast tbey have, they call dmapankk, but wee call tlirm flying Squirrrls, because 

 spreading tbeir legs, and so stretching the largenesse of their tkinnes, that they seeme to fly thtrtie or 

 fortie yards."— (P«.'0*«»'« Piigrimt. vol. iv, p. IG95.) 



Somewhat later, the gind Thomas Morton, in his " New English Canaan " (r. 82), speaks of 

 "a little flying Squirrill, with bat like winges, which bee spreads when bee Jnmpea flrom tree to tree 

 and docs no harme ". 



In 1636, the Nortboro Flying Squirrel was also noticed by Sagard-Thcodat, whose curious descrip- 

 tion is among the most detaile<l of the early notices ot this animal. I am favored with the following 

 transcript of his notice, through the attentions of my colleague, Dr. Cones, token froxa p. 67S of vol. iii. 

 of the Hvo French ed. of 186(!, of his Histoire dn Canada, a literal reprint of the original of 16:16 (p. 745) :— 

 "Ilsont anssi trols sortes d'escurienz differends, & tons troia plus beanx & plus petits que ceux de 

 DOStre Europe. Les plus estimrz &, rarrs sont les escnrianx volans, nomm^z SahoUesqnanta, qni ont 

 la couleur ceudnSe, la teste un pen grosse, le poll donx Si court &. les yeux petits. Us sent nppellvz vo- 

 lans, Don qu'ils ayent dos ayslea, mais h raison qu'ils ont nne oertaine pean anx deux coatez |>rrnanB de 

 la patte de derriere it celle de deuant, qu'ils repllent fort proprement coutre leur ventre quand >la war- 

 ohent, puis I'esteudent qnand ils volent, couime ils font aysement d'arbre en arbre, Sl de terre insques au 

 dcssus." 



Another writer, in an account of Virginia, originally published in 1649, speaks of " two sorts of 

 Sqnirrels ", nne of which is " called a flying one, for that she spreads like a Ratt a certaine loose skin she 

 hath and so flyes a good way ".—( force'* Traolt, vol. ii, Mo. 8, p. 16.) 



Clayton, writing in 1688, In ennnierating the Squirrels of Virginia, rays :— " The second is the flj ing 

 Squirrel of a lighter dun Colour, and mnch less than the English Squirrel ; the skin on either side tho 

 body extended is very large betwixt the Fore-Leg and Hind-Leg which helps them much in their skipp- 

 ing from one Bough to another that they will leap farther than the Fox Squirrel, tbongh much lesB, yrt 

 this is still rather skipping than flying, though the Distinct ion bo well moiifk." — (Foraft Tract; vol. Iii, 

 No. 18, p. 36.) 



LawBon, in ITUO, also thus refers to the Southern Flying Squirrel in term* no les* strained:— 

 " .... Ho has not wings as Birds or Bats have, they Iwing a fine thin skin coveHd with Hair, an tbo 

 rest of the parts are. This from the Fore-Foot to the Hinder-Feet, which is extended, and holds so 

 mnob Air as buoys him up from one Tree to another, that are greater distances asunder, than any other 

 Squirrels can roach by Jumping or springing . . . . " 

 tPhil.TrauB. vol.lxii, 1778, p. 379. 



t Nov. 8pe«. Qlires, I77H, p. ItM. 



