586 



THE POUCHED ANIMALS. 



They wear a mantle of Coosoo fur with the same 

 gratification of vanity which we derive from a gar- 

 ment of Sable or Marten. 



THE POUCHED SQUIRRELS. 



The Pouched Squirrels {Petauroides) bear such a 

 striking resemblance to the better known Flying 

 Squirrels in their physical conformation, that they 

 might easily be mistaken for them, if their dentition 

 were not so different from that of those rodents. 



r.WiT/-v»w.^« 



SUG-AB SQTJIBEEL. This pretty ag le an mal nakes its home in eastern Austral a in the dense for 



ests of eucalyptus trees, the bark of which contains a kind of sugar, known as "melitose." From this favorite 

 food the Sugar Squirrel gets its popular name. It has a flying membrane like the American Flying Squirrel and 

 can use it with great effectiveness. [Petaurus sciureus.) 



The Pouched Squir- The single species of the genus, the 



rel, its Haunts Pouched Squirrel {Petauroides vo- 

 and Habits. tans'), possesses a flying membrane 

 extending from the top of the fore leg to the base 

 of the large toe of the hind foot. It attains a length 

 of body of twenty inches; the tail, which is bare on 

 the under side of the tip, being of about the same 

 length. The head is small; the snout short and 

 pointed; the eyes are very large and the ears are 

 broad and grown with thick, bushy hair. The feet 

 have strong, curved and sharp nails. The fur is 

 very long, soft, bushy on the tail and subject to 

 great modifications in point of hue. Generally the 

 upper surface of the animal is brownish black, the 

 head a more decided brown; the flying membrane is 

 marked with whitish spots; the snout, chin and paws 

 are black, and the throat, chest and abdomen are 

 white. 



The Pouched Squirrel inhabits Australia, from 

 Queensland to Victoria, especially the extensive for- 

 ests between Port Philip and Moreton Bay, and is 

 said to be common throughout that region, though 

 it is rarely seen in confinement. Nocturnal, like 

 all its relatives, it hides towards morning in the 

 hollows of large dead trees and spends the day 

 sleeping, secure from any enemy, with the sole ex- 

 ception of the ever-hungry and ever-watchful Aus- 

 tralian native. It is said to fight desperately when 



brought to bay, and to make equally good use o£ 

 both teeth and claws. The flesh is considered a 

 delicacy, and, as the animal attains a considerable 

 size, it is eagerly pursued on this account both by 

 the black aborigines and by the white Man. 



When the Pouched Squirrel is wide awake, it is; 

 distinguished by the agility and precision of its 

 movements. It seems to fly from one branch to the 

 other, leaping across considerable spaces, climbing 

 to the top with exceeding speed and going from 



treetop to treetop. Its 

 long,, soft hair has a silky 

 lustre and becomes irides- 

 cent in its leaps, and the 

 pale moonlight glints on 

 it with a really beautiful 

 effect, the rays being re- 

 flected by the shining hair 

 m a peculiar way. 



The food of the Pouched 

 Squirrel consists of leaves, 

 buds and young branches, 

 and perhaps also of roots. 

 The animal rarely de- 

 scends to the ground for 

 food. It is said to endure 

 confinement for a consid- 

 erable time ; but hunters 

 succeed very rarely in cap- 

 turing it. 



SUGAR SQUIRRELS. 



The Pouched Squirrels; 

 are followed by'the Sugar 

 Squirrels {Petaurus), the 

 tad of which is hairy over 

 its entire surface. The best 

 known species is probably 

 the Sugar Squirrel {Petau- 

 rus sciureus), the very name 

 indicating that the species, 

 must be a well-known one. 

 The animal resembles a 

 Squirrel, and still more a Taguan, not only in shape 

 but also in size. 



Habitat and Char- The Sugar Squirrel is found from 

 acteristics of the Queensland to Victoria. It is truly 

 Sugar Squirrels, arboreal, and nocturnal in its habits, 

 like most creatures of a similar physical structure. 

 It climbs about the trees with the agility of a Squir- 

 rel, always from below upwards, and is capable of 

 executing exceedingly long leaps, changing its di- 

 rection at will. Even when jumping from a height 

 of thirty feet, it is capable of reaching a tree ficm 

 sixty to ninety feet distant. 



All observers are unanimous in their admiration 

 of its movements when flying, and affirm that the 

 animal displays a grace and daintiness which hardly 

 have an equal. The Sugar Squirrel is a prepos- 

 sessing animal in general, for it is readily tamed,, 

 though not entirely inoffensive, and is extremely 

 lively, active and cheerful at night, but unfortu- 

 nately it is always somewhat timid. It is frequently 

 found in the houses of settlers, who take great care 

 of it. Its intelligence is not great, but its merry 

 ways, its gentleness and grace to a certain extent 

 atone for its lack of mental powers. It readily be- 

 comes accustomed to any diet, though fruit buds- 

 and insects are most favored by it, these forming its 

 natural food. It is specially fond of eucalyptus 

 honey; insects, probably, also form a not inconsider- 



