THE TAGUAN FLYING SQUIRREL. 491 
THE beautiful and active group of animals of which our Squirrel is so familiar an example, 
are found in almost every portion of the globe, and, with one or two exceptions, live almost 
exclusively among the branches of trees. In order to enable them to maintain a firm clasp 
upon the branches and bark, they are furnished with long, finger-like toes upon the fore-feet, 
which are armed with sharp curved claws. 
in the Flying Squirrels, of which the TAGUAN is a good example, the skin of the flanks is 
modified in a method similar to that which has already been noticed in the Petaurists of 
TAGUAN—Pteromys petaurisia. 
Australia and the Colugo of Java. This skin is so largely developed, that when the animal is 
sitting at its ease, its paws but just appear from under the soft folds of the delicate and fur- 
clad membrane. When the creature intends to make one of its marvellous leaps, it stretches 
all its four limbs to their fullest extent, and is upborne through the air on the parachute-like 
expansion which extends along its sides. This animal is a native of India, where it is tolerably 
common. 
It is rather a large species, as its total length is nearly three feet, the tail occupying about 
one foot eight inches, measured to the extremity of the long hairs with which it is so thickly 
clothed. The general color of this animal is a clear chestnut, deepening into brown on the 
back, and becoming more ruddy on the sides. The little pointed ears are covered with short 
and soft fur of a delicate brown, and the tail is heavily clad with bushy hairs, grayish-black on 
the basal portions of that member, and sooty-black towards the extremity. The parachute 
