THE TAG U AN 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 Tag it an 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 



TAGCAN— Pteromys petauruta. 



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 



