466 THE AMERICAN PLYING SQUIEREL, 



the fore and hind legs, to the tail : on the fore legs 

 it adheres as far as the toes, and includes a peculiar 

 bone which is attached to the wrist, and helps to 

 stretch out this skin in flying ; and on the hind leg 

 it exstends to the ancles *. 



These Squirrels inhabit Jiollow trees : where tliey 

 sleep daring the day, and from whence they only 

 make their appearance in the night ; at which latter 

 time they are very lively and active. They associate 

 in flocks ; several living in the same tree, which 

 they never willingly quit to run upon the ground, 

 but almost constantly reside among the branches. — 

 By means of their lateral membranes, they are able to 

 makeastonishing leaps of ten or twelve yards, from tree 

 to tree. In these effbrts they extend their hind legs, 

 and stretch out the intervening skin, by which they 

 present a greater surface to the air, and become more 

 buoyant. They are, however, still under the neces- 

 sity of taking advantage of the lower branches of the 

 trees ; to which they leap, for their weight prevents 

 them from keeping in a straight line. Sensible of 

 this, they always take care to mount so high as to 

 ensure them from falling to the ground. This ex- 

 tended skin acts upon the air somewhat in the man- 

 ner of a paper kite, and not by repeated strokes like 

 the uings of a bird. The animal, being naturally 

 heavier than the air, must of course descend ; the 

 distance, therefore, to which it can jnmp, depends 

 on the height of the tree on which it stands. When 

 it is at rest, the skin is wrinkled up against its sides. 



I -g^ 



-w— . — — -* — — - ' - '--. ■-■■■«- !■ mmimmm n * ^" * " ' " ' 



* lierr, i. 2C7. 



