Eodestia. MAMMALIA. Rodentia. 
Ixxxiv 
and liind-feet. 'J’lie creatures are enabled by this 
structure to glide from tlie tops of tall trees to the 
ground, or from one tree to another, as a parachute 
falls through the air. 'I'hey cannot fly as the Bird, 
nor even as the Bat. 'I'his genus is merely a modi- 
fied form of Sciurus, possessing rudimentary powers 
of flight. 'I'he species are crepuscular in habit, or 
nocturnal. In North America one species is known, 
but its distribution is widely extended; its size, too, 
varies extensively, according to its locality. A 
single species is found in Europe, and Asia has 
several. 'I'he European species is much smaller than 
ours. 
AMERICAN FLYING SQUIRREL [Sdur obiter us vol- 
ucella, Pall., Geoff.) — Plate 14, fig. 43 — is one of 
the several varieties formerly called by a distinct 
name I'rom others. In the late work on Rodentia, 
by Allen and Cones, it is called the Soutiieex Flying 
Squirrel. Its length, exclusive of the tail, is less 
than si.x inches, generally less than five and a half. 
The tail is said to be less dusky, often with no blackish 
whatever, and the general color of the body above 
rather more yellowish. It inhabits the United 
States — exclusive of the Pacific slope north of Cal- 
ifornia, and the Rocky Mountains north of Colorado, 
and thence southward to Guatemala. 'J'his little 
creature was described as early as 1651 by Fernan- 
dez, from Mexican specimens, and, in 1743, Catesby 
recorded it from South Carolina. Prof. Baird, in 
Mammals of North America, 1858, admitted four 
species, but the question is now fairly settled upon 
the present basis, that is — one species, with several 
variations. 'I’he variety hudsonius — the Northern 
Flying Squirrel — is regarded as attaining a length 
of six inches or more. 'The color above is a dull 
yellowish or reddish-brown. Its habitat is mostly 
north of parallel 49°, extending further southward 
along the Rocky Mountains and on the Pacific 
slope. Although these are regarded as somewhat 
distinct varieties, yet our authors consider them as 
“grading insensildy into each other.” 'The Flying- 
Squirrel is a gentle little creature, easily tamed, and 
one that proves a very pleasant pet. It is frequently 
kept in a tamed state by the country people. 
Sciurus. — Linn. 
'I'he generic characters are in part a short and 
vei-y broad skull, the cranial portion being greatly 
exjianded ; the jiost-orbital processes terminate in a 
long slender jioint, directed posteriorly (and more or 
less outwardly) and decurved ; the malar bone is 
slender, the plane of its expression being nearly ver- 
tical ; the anti-orbital foramen, a narrow vertical 
slit, oiiening far in advance of the first premolar, 
'i'he upper molars are four or five ; the first premolar, 
when two are jiresent, very small. 'The muzzle is 
short, and the nasals greatly narrowed posteriorly. 
'I'he ears are well developed, sometimes tufted, es- 
pecially in cold weather. In this genus there is 
absent the well-marked black stripes on the dorsum. 
'J’here are no cheek pouches, and no lateral mem- 
branes connecting the limbs. 'The authors of 7A- 
tZe/Rm, IJaydeiTs Report, 1877, have liad unusual 
facilities in the examination of species of this genus, 
and we find that they have reduced the number of 
species from “some thirty or more to nine or ten 
that seem valid, with two additional sub-species.” 
'i’he smallest species is the most northern in habitat, 
and the next smaller is in the extreme South. In 
the sub-tropical regions are the largest, with fine 
bushy tails. “ None are thus far known from the 
inter-tropical islands.” 
CHICKAREE [Sciurus hudsonius, Pallas). — Among 
the several varieties this is called the Eastern Chick- 
aree. Its average length from end of nose to base of 
tail is six and three-quarter inches ; its fur above is a 
pale gray fulvous ; below, pure white. 'The ears are 
blackislt toward the end, and in winter are pencilled or 
tufted. 'The middle of the back is generally red, and 
there is a short black line laterally. 'This is, in the 
Northern States, the most familiar animal of this 
order, or perhaps equally so with the little Striped 
Squirrel. It is a noisy little creature, pretty surely 
met with in any dry woods, either running up and 
down some tall tree, or leaping gayly along the stone 
wall, uttering now and then the twittering chirp, 
Ghiclc-a ree ! which suggests its name. It feeds on 
cones of the fir, hickory and other nuts, and also on 
the seeds and buds of other trees. The Sable is 
said to be its greatest enemy. It dives and swims, 
upon occasion, when closely pushed. A variety, 
called Richardson’s Chickaree [S. richardsoni), is 
about seven and a half inches in length. This 
variety is found in the Rocky Mountains. 
THE WESTERN CHICKAREE [S. douglassi) is an- 
other mere variety of the preceding, measuring the 
same in length ; it is found in the IVestern States. 
The variety S. frenionti has a length of body seven 
and three-quarter inches ; it ranges from the eastern 
base of the middle portion of the Rocky Mountains 
to the Pacific. 'The four varieties of the Red 
Squirrel are thought to be readily distinguishable by 
the coloration, especially by the markings of the tail. 
'The variety hudsonius is smaller than others; the 
others do not differ materially in size. All the 
varieties, except frenionti, have a distinct reddish 
band along the middle of the back, which extends 
from the top of the head to the end of the tail. In 
hudsonius it is yellowish-red ; in others it is much 
darker tint. All are white or grayish-white below, 
except douglassi, which has that surface fulvous. A 
conspicuous black lateral line is more or less pre- 
valent in summer in all of them. 'The habitat of this 
Squirrel includes the entire continent. 
THE GRAY SQUIRREL [Sciurus earolinensis, 
Gmelin). — 'The Gray Squirrel is familiar to those 
living somewhat remote from the large towns, and 
throughout the continent three varieties are noticed. 
Variety leucotis has a length of body ten and a half 
inches, varying from nine to eleven and a half. 'The 
pelage above is a whitish-gray, with a dorsal area 
and lateral line of yellowish-brown ; beneath, it is 
white. It is found in the New England States, 
Canada, and as far west as Iowa. 
'I'he variety earolinensis, the Southern Gray 
Squirrel, ranges in length from eight and a half to 
