COMMON FLYING-SQUIRREL. 



217 



COLOUR. 



A line of black around the orbits of the eye ; whiskers, nearly all 

 black, a few are whitish toward their extremities. Ears, light-brown. 

 In most specimens there is a light-coloured spot above the eyes ; 

 sides of the face and neck, light cream-colour ; fur on the back, dark 

 slate-colour, tipped with yellowish-brown. On the upper side of the fly- 

 ing membrane the colour gradually becomes browner till it reaches the 

 lower edge, where it is of a light cream-colour ; throat, neck, inner sur- 

 face of legs, and all beneath, white ; with occasionally a tint of cream- 

 colour. The upper surface of the tail is of the colour of the back ; tail, 

 beneath, light fawn. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Length of head and body 



head 



" tail (vertebrae) 



" tail, including fur .... 



Of a specimen from which one of our figures was drawn. 

 From nose to eye 



" " opening of ear 



root of tail . 

 Tail (vertebrae) .... 

 Tail, to end of hair 

 Breadth of tail, hair extended 

 Spread of fore-legs to extremity of claws 

 Spread of hind-legs .... 



5ii 



nches. 



1 



do. 



4 



do. 



5 



do. 



5 



T 



inches 



u 



do. 



51 



do. 



3| 



do. 



H 



do. 



H 



do. 



6| 



do. 



7 



do. 



It has sometimes been questioned whether the investigation of objects 

 of natural history was calculated to improve the moral nature of man, 

 and whether by an examination into the peculiar habits of the inferior 

 animals he would derive information adapted to the wants of an immortal 

 being, leading him from the contemplation of nature up to nature's God. 



Leaving others to their own judgment on this subject, we can say for 

 ourselves that on many occasions when studpng the varied characters of 

 the inferior creatures, w^e have felt that we were reading lessons taught 

 us by nature, that were calculated to make us wiser and better. Often, 

 whilst straying in the fields and woods with a book under our arm, have 

 we been tempted to leave Homer or Aristotle unopened, and attend to 



89 



