220 COMMON FLYING-SQUIRREL. 



the earth, their impetus, aided by their expanded skin, enables them to 

 ascend in a curved line and alight upon the tree aimed at, about one-third 

 as high from the ground as they were on the tree they left. On reaching 

 a tree in this manner they run briskly up its trunk as high as they wish 

 to give them a start for another ; in this way they will travel in a few 

 minutes, from tree to tree or object to object a quarter of a mile or more. 

 There is nothing resembling flying in their movements. 



" They are gregarious, living together in considerable communities, 

 and do not object to the company of other and even quite different ani- 

 mals. For example, I once assisted in taking down an old martin-box, 

 which had been for a great number of years on the top of a venerable 

 locust tree near my house, and which had some eight or ten apartments. 

 As the box fell to the ground we w^ere surprised to see great numbers of 

 Flying-Squirrels, screech-owls, and leather- winged bats running from it. 

 We caught several of each, and one of the Flying-Squirrels was kept as 

 a pet in a cage for six months. The various apartments of the box were 

 stored with hickory-nuts, chesnuts, acorns, corn, &c., intended for the 

 winter supply of food. There must have been as many as tw^enty Flying- 

 Squirrels in the box, as many bats, and we know there were six screech 

 owls. The crevices of the house were always inhabited by the Squirrels. 

 The docility of the one we kept as a pet was remarkable ; although he 

 was never lively and playful in the day-time, he would permit himself to 

 be handled and spread out at the pleasure of any one. We frequently 

 took him from the cage, laid him on the table or on one hand, and ex- 

 posed the extension of his skin, smoothed his fur, put him in our pocket 

 or bosom, &c., he pretending all the time to be asleep. 



" It was a common occurrence that these Squirrels flew into the house 

 on a summer's evening when the windows were open, and at such times 

 w^e caught them. They were always perfectly harmless. Although I 

 frequently seized them in my hand I was never bitten. We caught so 

 many of them one season that the young girls bordered their winter capes 

 with their tails which are very pretty. It was a curious circimistance 

 that the Flying-Squirrels never descended to the lower parts of the house, 

 and we never knew of any rats in the upper rooms. Whether the Squir- 

 rels or the rats were the repulsive agents I do not know ; certain it is 

 they never inhabited the lower location in common." 



The Flying-Squirrel, as is shown above, is gregarious. In Carolina, 

 we have generally found six or seven in one nest ; it is difficult, however, 

 to count them, as on cutting down a tree which they inhabit, several es- 

 cape without being noticed. In New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, 

 " they appear to be more numerous, and the families are larger. 



