200 MAMMALIA. 



flight, and here; and there the common red hat was on the wing ; 

 stiU for some time not a M\ing Sciuirrc;! made its appearance. 

 Suddenly, however, one emerged from its hoU; and ran up to tlu; 

 top of a tree ; another soon foHowed. and ere h)ng (h)Zfns came; 

 forth, and commenced their graceful flights from some upj)er hranch 

 to a lower hough. At tinuis one; would Ik; sc;en darting fn)m llu- 

 topmost branches of a tall oak. and with wide-extended lucmhranes 

 and outspread tail gliding diagonally through the air, till it reached 

 the foot of a tree about flfty yards off, wh(;n at the moment we 

 expected to see it strike the earth, it suddenl\- turned u|)wards and 

 alighted on the body of the tree. It would then run to the top 

 and once more precipitate itself from the; upper branche-s. anel sail 

 back again to the tree it hael just left. Cre)wels e)f tlu'se- little 

 creatures joine'el in these sportive; gambe)ls ; there' coulel iu)t have 

 been less than twe) hunelre;el. .Scores of the-m we)ulel le;a\e; e;ach 

 tree at the same; me)ment. and cre)ss each other, glieling like; spirits 

 through the air, seeming to have no other object in \iew than to 

 inelulge; a pla)-ful prope;nsity." * 



The hd\-ing Sejuirrel is the me)st highl\- sp(;cialize'el of the famil\' 

 to which it pertains, its whole structure i)re-eminentl\- fitting it fe)r 

 arbe)real life. The peculiar tegumentar\- expansie)n ale)ng the; sides 

 enables it te) make flying leaps that far exceeel those of either 

 sejuirrels ; and the ease, grace, and rapidity with which it glides 

 from tree to tree inspires the merest passerd)\- with woneler and 

 admiratie)n. Its orelinary mode of progressie)n is b)' a series of 

 alternate clinibs and leaps. Ui)on reaching a tree the first act is 

 to ascend, for, being unable to sail he)rize)ntally, it must attain a 

 considerable elevation before venturing to leap te) the next. I nstead 

 of moving off in this way whe'U disturbeel, it se)metimes runs up into 

 the topmost branches of the nearest tree, and, coiling itself into 

 surprisingl)- small compass, remains me)tionless till the; intrueler 

 has taken his departure. 



* (Quadrupeds of North Aiiicrica, Vol. I, 1S46, p. 218. 



