92 CALIFORNIA MAMMALS. 



Length of type 286 mm. (11.25 inches) ; tail vertebrje 127 

 (5.10); hind foot 38 (1.50). A female that I took in the 

 type locality measured, length 245 (11.60); tail vertebras 140 

 (5.50) ; hind foot 37 (1.45) ; ear from crown 20 (.78). Weight 

 five ounces. 



Type locality, San Bernardino Mountains, California. 



Flying Squirrels appear to be rare in southern California 

 and are not known to occur below the coniferous forests. They 

 are nocturnal in habit and may be more common than we sup- 

 pose. 



The food of Flying Squirrels consists of seeds, buds, beetles 

 and flesh, occasionally at least ; whether or not they habitually 

 kill small mammals and birds is not certainly known. They live 

 in holes in trees and rarely come out until twilight. 



The flight of Flying Squirrels is not true flying but is a 

 sailing leap. They leap from the upper part of a tree with the 

 side membranes extended and with the aid oi these 'und the 

 broac] flat tail sail down and out, alighting against the lower part 

 of another tree, running up, to again leap from the top. They 

 can guide the flight to some degree, but cannot rise to the height 

 from which they started. 



Sciuropterus oregonensis Stephens! Merriam. 



STEPHENS FLYING SQUIRREL. 



Above wood brown, the tips only of the hairs being of this 

 color, the remainder slate gray, this color showing through the 

 tips; upper part of head and neck a lighter brown; a narrow 

 blackish eye ring; sides of head and cheeks pale brownish gray; 

 feet drab gray ; under surface of head, body and wings white 

 tinged with pale brownish yellow, the slaty under fur showing 

 through ; upper surface of tail mouse gray tinged with drab 

 toward the base; under side of tail light smoke gray, darker at 

 the edges. 



Length of type 277 mm. (10.90 inches) ; tail vertebrae 131 

 (5-15) ; ^ind foot 37 ( 1.45) ; ear from crown 19 (.75). 



