SAILING SQUIRREL/ ^ " 101 
Sailing squirrel. 
Names are necessary for distinction ; but may 
sometimes mislead. The sailing squirrel has no- 
thing to do on the w;*ter. He inhabits Java, and 
others of the Indian islands, leaps from tree to 
tree, as if he flew, and will catch hold of the 
boughs with his tail. They vary in size ; some 
are of the size of the common squirrel; others as 
large as a hare. The usual length, from the nose 
to the tail, is eighteen inches ; the tail fifteen. 
The colour of the head, body, and tail, is a bright 
bay ; in some parts inclining to orange ; the 
breast and belly are of a yellowish white. Its 
bead is small and rounded ; its upper lip cloven ; 
its ears small and blunt. It has two small warts 
at the outmost corner of each eye, with hairs 
growing out of them. Its neck is short. It has 
four toes on the fore feet ; and, instead of a 
thumb, a slender bone, two inches and a half long, 
lodged under the lateral membrane, and serving to 
stretch it out ; from thence to the hind legs, ex- 
tends the membrane, which is a continuation of the 
skin of the sides and belly, and extends along the 
fore legs, and stretches out near the joint in a 
winged form. This species has five toes on the 
hind feet ; and, on all the toes, sharp, Compressed, 
bent claws. Its tail is covered wirh long hairs, 
disposed horizontally. It is not flat, like that ot 
other squirrels, but cylindric> like that of a cat. 
It is very nearly allied to the flying opossum. 
Nieuhoff describes this creature under the name 
pf the flying cat. 
