hoo 
the middle of September to the middle of March. It is probably of 
somewhat shorter duration here. Like the striped and gray gophers, 
they sit erect when watching for enemies, and whistle shrilly when 
alarmed. 
The woodchuck is often kept in confinement, but it is a rather 
stupid and uninteresting pet. 
I do not know of any way in which a live woodchuck can be of 
service to man. The flesh is often eaten by those who like coarse 
game, and the skin makes a tough leather of limited use. Where 
woodchucks are abundant they are a serious pest in meadows and 
grain fields. They beat down the crops, thus rendering harvesting 
difficult, and the earth they throw out injures the mower or reaper. 
Their burrows may be stepped into by horses or cattle, and for this 
reason may be counted dangerous. However, woodchucks are 
readily gotten rid of. They may be taken in a steel trap set in the 
mouth of their burrows, or they may be easily poisoned with carbon 
bisulphid. Moreover, they furnish an excellent mark for practice in 
rifle-shooting. 
FLYING SQUIRREL. 
Sciuropterus volans (Liannzeus). 
Mus volans Linn., Syst. Nat., I., 1758, p. 63. 
Pteromys volucella of Kennicott and various authors. 
The general range of the flying squirrel is from northern New 
York south to Florida and west to the plains. 
The size of Illinois specimens is about as follows: Total length, 
osm 2O0 mim,); length of tail, 3.25 m. (83 mm.); length of hind 
Toei .2 im. (30 mr. )). 
The color above is drab shaded with russet, the base of the hairs 
being plumbeous; the tail is slightly darker above, beneath buffy 
gray; the hands, above, are grayish white; and the feet are drab. 
There isan orbital ring of brownish black and a broad band of the 
same at the edge of the wing-membrane. The under parts are white, 
washed with yellow or buff. 
The tail is densely clothed with soft hairs, the whole being 
smoothly flattened, though the vertebre are of normal form. The 
eyes are dark and large; the ears, nearly naked and rather large and 
rounded. 
