SCIUROPTERUS VOLUCELLA. 
IOI 
nights of summer and early autumn cannot but mark the myriads 
of sounds that betoken the presence and activity of animal life. 
The faint rustling of leaves, the pattering of light footsteps on the 
ground, the constant dropping of something from the trees, the 
springing back of a branch relieved from the weight of some animal, 
the sharp squeaking of unseen creatures, the lonesome note of a 
wakeful bird, the occasional low grating of teeth overhead, the 
bustle and chipper of something chasing something else up the 
trunk of a neighboring tree, the cry of distress as some bird or 
beast of prey seizes its unhappy victim ; — these and numberless 
other noises, mostly vague and indescribable, — fill the air and bear 
evidence to the profusion of life. And yet the very multiplicity of 
sounds is confusing, and prevents the perception of those that are 
distinctive. To the ear accustomed to the whisperings of Nature 
many of these noises are recognized as easily as the voices of 
familiar friends. The shrew, the mouse, the bat, the chickaree, 
and the Flying Squirrel are almost sure to be present, and the 
latter is generally responsible for no small share of the perplexing 
sounds. His activity is intense, his sailing leaps frequent, his 
gambolings almost ceaseless, his sly chuckle and saucy scold are 
occasionally heard, and his dropping of beechnut shucks is some- 
times well nigh continuous. 
Audubon and Bachman narrate an interesting experience that 
no other naturalists seem to have been fortunate enough to witness. 
They say : “ We recollect a locality not many miles from Philadel- 
phia, where, in order to study the habits of this interesting species, 
we occasionally strayed into a meadow containing here and there 
immense oak and beech trees. One afternoon we took our seat 
on a log in the vicinity to watch their lively motions. It was 
during the calm warm weather peculiar to the beginning of autumn. 
During the half hour before sunset nature seemed to be in a state 
of silence and repose. The birds had retired to the shelter of the 
forest. The night-hawk had already commenced its low evening 
