1883. | Flying Squirrel in Confinement. 39 
would operate, through natural selection, to bring about the final 
modifications. 
I have never known wild animals that became so perfectly 
familiar and confiding as these young squirrels’ did; and they 
seemed to get far more enjoyment from playing upon my person 
than in any other place, running in and out of pockets, and be- 
tween my coat and vest. After the frolic was over they always 
esteemed it a great favor if I would allow them to crawl into my 
vest in front and go to sleep there, where they felt the warmth of 
my body, and it was very rare indeed, during the first six months, 
that they failed to ask the privilege; indeed they came to con- 
sider themselves abused if turned out, When forced to go to 
sleep by themselves, the attitude taken was amusing, the nose 
was placed upon the table or other object it happened to be upon, 
and then it would walk forward oyer it, rolling itself up until the 
nose almost protruded from between the hind legs; the tail was 
then wrapped in a horizontal coil about the feet, and the result 
was an exquisite little ball of life in soft fur which it seemed 
almost sacrilegious to touch. If they escaped from the cage 
during the night, I was sure to be warned of the fact by their 
coming into the bed to roll themselves up close to my face or 
neck. They would very rarely return to the nest in the cage to 
sleep when the play was over. One of them found its way, while 
clambering about on the bed, between a pair of flannel blankets 
where it went to sleep near the foot, and always after that, if left 
to himself, he would find that spot to sleep. 
So far as I observed, they exhibited no lonesomeness when 
left without a playmate, nor did I ever observe them play with 
one another, neither did they quarrel. 
Before I procured a suitable cage, one of the three squirrels 
escaped. The other two derived great enjoyment running in the 
wheel, and in this sport the two would very often participate at 
the same time, but not, apparently, because the enjoyment was 
greater. In this sport one of them was so unfortunate as to 
break one of his hind legs above the heel; I splinted it care- 
fully for him, securing the splints with thread. To this treatment 
he objected emphatically, scolding and pinching much during the 
operation, and when I returned at noon he had cut the threads 
and removed the splints. I could not replace them until evening; 
when I could attend to the little patient he was placed in my 
