80 
ORDERS OE MAMMALS— ON AWING ANIMALS 
Whistler, which is yellowish in summer, and 
bluish-gray in winter. This is called the Olym- 
pic Marmot. 
Flying Squirrels. 
The Flying Squirrel 1 is a very beautiful 
little creature, but its strictly nocturnal habits, 
and strong dislike to daylight, almost rob us of 
its acquaintance. This is to be regretted, be- 
cause it is the only native tree-dwelling quad- 
ruped which has been provided by Nature with 
a parachute, consisting of a thin fold of skin 
stretched between the fore and hind legs, to 
partly sustain the animal in a long downward 
flight. Neither the Flying Squirrel, nor the 
flying lemur of the East Indies, can actually 
fly; but they leap from a tree-top, go sailing 
gently downward and outward, and when near 
the ground curve upward and are carried by 
their momentum on an ascending plane to the 
side of an adjoining tree. Anything like hori- 
zontal flight is quite out of the question. 
1 Sci-u-rop'te-rus vo'lans. 
The Flying Squirrel is one of the most exqui- 
site little mammals in North America. Its legs 
are very delicately formed; its fur is as fine and 
soft as silk ; and when at rest the edge of its fly- 
ing membrane looks like the edge of a lace ruffle. 
The head and body (of the eastern species) is 
about 5 inches long, and the tail 4 inches. These 
little creatures are quite sociable, and nest in 
hollow trees, where from five to seven young are 
born. They come out to play about sunset, and 
are as sportive as schoolboys playing tag. In cap- 
tivity they are quite worthless for exhibition, for 
in the daytime there is nothing to be seen save 
a small and wholly uninteresting ball of fur. 
Three species (and nine subspecies) have been 
described, and their range covers the eastern 
United States from Canada to Florida, and 
westward to Louisiana. On the Pacific Coast, 
they are found from southern California to 
Alaska, even to the Mackenzie River basin, but 
they are not found in the desert regions. 
THE SEWELLEL FAMILY. 
Aplodontidae. 
The Sewellel , 2 Mountain “ Beaver,” or 
Showt’l of the Indians is a strange and little 
known animal of the Northwest, with which at 
least every person in that region should be ac- 
quainted. It is reddish-brown in upper color 
(sometimes grayish-brown), and looks like a 
tailless woodchuck. It feeds like a beaver, fights 
fiercely when cornered, is sociable in habit like 
the prairie-" dog,” can climb bushes four feet 
high, and can burrow and live comfortably either 
in ground that is low and boggy, or high and dry. 
Usually it prefers wet ground! A large speci- 
men weighs 4 pounds, measures about 13 inches 
in length of head and body, and tail a little 
more than one inch. Strange to say, this once 
rare animal has recently been discovered inhabit- 
ing the grounds of the University of Washing- 
ton, at Seattle. 
THE BEAVER FAMILY. 
Castoridae. 
The Beaver 3 easily leads the mammals of 
the world in mechanical and engineering skill, 
and also in habits of industry. Being chiefly 
nocturnal in its habits, it sleeps by day, and 
after nightfall carries on its work unmolested. 
2 Ap-lo-don'ti-a ru'fa. 3 C as' tor can-a-den'sis. 
