THE FLYING-SQUIRREL 



WITH the exception of Australia, 

 Squirrels are found in all parts 

 of the globe; they extend tol- 

 erably far north and are found 

 in the hottest parts of the South. As a 

 family they are lively, quick, and nimble 

 in their movement^?, both in trees and 

 upon the ground, Flying Squirrels alone 

 being ill at ease when upon the surface 

 of the earth. In compensation for this, 

 however, they are possessed of a faculty 

 which enables them to make exceedingly 

 long leaps, which they take in an ob- 

 liquely descending direction. 



The nocturnal Flying Squirrels, says 

 Brehm, differ from the diurnal Tree 

 Squirrels mainly in having their fore and 

 hind legs connected by a wide flying- 

 membrane. This membrane acts as a 

 parachute, and enables them to execute 

 considerable leaps with ease, in an in- 

 clined plane from above downwards. 

 This membrane -consists of a stout skin, 

 extending along both sides of the body, 

 thickly grown with hair on the upper 

 side, while the lower one shows but a 

 scanty covering. A bony spur at the 

 first joint of the fore-legs gives especial 

 strength to the membrane. The tail 

 serves as an effective rudder and is 

 always vigorous, though it is not of the 

 same conformation in the different spe- 

 cies, one group having it simply bushy, 

 while the other has the hair on it ar- 

 ranged in two lateral rows. There are 

 also slight differences in the structure 

 of the teeth. 



The Flying Squirrel of North Amer- 

 ica, Assapan, is next to the smallest 

 variety of the whole species, the Jaguan, 

 or East Indian, being the largest, nearly 

 equaling a cat in size. 



The fur of the North American Fly- 

 ing Squirrels is exceedingly soft and 

 delicate. In captivity they suffer them- 

 selves, by day, to be gently handled, 

 making no effort to bite with their lit- 

 tle sharp teeth as other Squirrels do. 

 Overcome with sleep they lie curled up 

 in their cage, as much hidden from view 



as possible, rarely bestirring themselves 

 before nine o'clock at night. Then, 

 "on the upper edge of the sleeping-box, 

 which one must give them as a substitute 

 for their nest, a round little head be- 

 comes visible ; the body follows and 

 soon one of the little creatures sits on 

 the narrow edge of the box in a graceful 

 Squirrel-like attitude, the flying mem- 

 brane half folded against its body, half 

 hanging down in a soft curve. The 

 small, expanded ears move back and 

 forth as does the bewhiskered muzzle, 

 and the large, dark eyes inquisitively 

 scan the cage and surroundings. If 

 nothing suspicious is visible, the Assa- 

 pan glides down like a shadow, always 

 head first, whether the plane be inclined 

 or vertical, without any noise, without 

 a perceptible movement of the limbs, 

 the greater part of which is covered 

 with the membrane. It proceeds on 

 the woven ceiling of the cage, back 

 downward, as if it walked on level 

 ground; it rope-dances over thin twigs 

 with unsurpassed precision and agility 

 at a uniform speed ; spreading its mem- 

 brane to the full, it darts through the 

 whole space of the cage like an arrow, 

 and the next instant seems glued to the 

 perch, without having made an effort to 

 regain its balance. 



''During all this moving about it picks 

 up a crumb, a nut, a grain of meat from 

 its dish ; drinks, sipping more than it laps, 

 washes its head with saliva, combs its 

 hair with the nails of its fore-feet, 

 smooths it with the soles of its small 

 paws, turning, stretching, stooping all 

 the while, as if its skin were a bag in 

 which its body sits quite loosely. 



"After hunger and thirst are somewhat 

 appeased, and the toilet over, a playful 

 humor succeeds. Up and down, head 

 upward or inverted, along the ceiling, or 

 the floor, running, jumping, gliding, 

 soaring, hanging, sitting, rushing ahead 

 as if it could move a thousand joints at 

 once, as if there were no such thing as 

 gravity to be overcome." 



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185 



