GNAWERS. 119 



it seen«s' to fear, and from the storms and inclemency of winter, 

 which it is still less capable of supporting. Its provision of nuts 

 and acorns is seldom in its nest, but in the hollows of the tree, 

 laid up carefully together and never touched but in cases of 

 necessity. 



The Flying Squirrel is more common in America than 

 in Europe, whore he is seldom seen, except in Russia, Norway, 

 and Lapland. The American species uses the same food, and 

 forms the same hoards, as the common squirrel ; but the Norwegian 

 feeds principally on the tender branches of the beech and pine 

 trees. The latter species differs from the former principally in 

 having its tail full of hair, rounded at the end, and its body being 

 a fine gray on the upper part, and white on the lower ; while the 

 American has a tail tapering to a point, and is of a cinereous 

 brown on the back, and white tinged with yellow on the belly. 

 This little animal dwells upon trees, like the squirrel; he goes 

 from branch to branch ; and when he leaps upon another tree, his 

 skin, which hangs loose on both sides of his body, is stretched 

 forward by his fore legs, and backward by the hind legs, and in- 

 creases the surface of his body without adding to its weight, and 

 consequently retards his fall ; so that this animal reaches, in one 

 leap, a great distance. This motion is not like the flight of a bird, 

 neither like the fluttering of a bat; both which motions are per- 

 formed by striking the air with repeated vibrations. It is one 

 single leap, caused by the first impulse, the motion of which is 

 only prolonged, and lasts longer, as the body of the animal, pre- 

 senting to the air greater surface, finds a greater resistance, and 

 falls more slowly. 



The Flying Squirrel is easily tamed ; but it often flies ; and 

 he must be kept in a cage, or secured with a small chain. He 

 feeds upon bread, fruit, and seeds ; he is remarkably fond of the buds 

 and shoots of the birch and pine trees. He does not seek after 

 nuts and almonds like the squirrel. He makes a bed of leaves, 

 in which he buries himself, and upon which he lies in the daytime, 

 and leaves it in the night, or when pressed by hunger. As he has 

 little agility, he becomes easily the prey of martens, and other 



