THE FLYING-SQUIRREL. 
WITH the exception of Australia, 
Squirrels are found in all parts 
of the globe; they extend tol- 
erably far north and are found 
in the hottest parts of the South. As 
a family they are lively, quick, and nim- 
ble in their movements, both in trees 
and upon the ground, Flying Squirrels 
alone being ill at ease when upon the 
surface of the earth. In compensation 
for this, however, they are possessed of 
a faculty which enables them to make 
exceedingly long leaps, which they take 
in an obliquely descending direction. 
The nocturnal Flying Squirrels, says 
Brehm, differ from the diurnal Tree 
Squirrels mainly in having their fore 
and hind legs connected by a wide fly- 
ing-membrane. This membrane acts 
as a parachute, and enables them to ex- 
ecute considerable leaps with ease, in 
an inclined plane from above down- 
wards. This membrane consists of a 
stout skin, extending along both sides 
of the body, thickly grown with hair on 
the upper side, while the lower one 
shows but a scanty covering. A bony 
spur at the first joint of the fore-legs 
gives especial strength to the mem- 
brane. The tail serves as an effective 
rudder and is always vigorous, though 
it is not of the same conformation in 
the different species, one group having 
it simply bushy, while the other has the 
hair on it arranged in two lateral rows. 
There are also slight differences in the 
structure of the teeth. 
The Flying Squirrel of North Amer- 
ica, Assapan, is next to the smallest 
variety of the whole species, the Jaguan, 
or East Indian, being the largest, nearly 
equaling a cat in size. 
The fur of the North American Fly- 
ing Squirrels is exceedingly soft and 
delicate. In captivity they suffer them- 
selves, by day, to be gently handled, 
making no effort to bite with their lit- 
tle sharp teeth as other Squirrels do. 
Overcome with sleep they lie curled up 
in their cage, as much hidden from 
view as possible, rarely bestirring them- 
selves before nine o'clock at night. 
Then, " on the upper edge of the sleep- 
ing-box, which one must give them as 
a substitute for their nest, a round little 
head becomes visible; the body follows 
and soon one of the little creatures sits 
on the narrow edge of the box in a 
graceful Squirrel-like attitude, the fly- 
ing membrane half folded against its 
body, half hanging down in a soft 
curve. The small, expanded ears move 
back and forth as does the bewhiskered 
muzzle, and the large, dark eyes inquis- 
itively scan the cage and surroundings. 
If nothing suspicious is visible, the As- 
sapan glides down like a shadow, 
always head first, whether the plane be 
inclined or vertical, without any noise, 
without a perceptible movement of the 
limbs, the greater part of which is cov- 
ered with the membrane. It proceeds 
on the woven ceiling of the cage, back 
downward, as if it walked on level 
ground; it rope-dances over thin 
twigs with unsurpassed precision and 
agility at a uniform speed; spreading 
its membrane to the full, it darts 
through the whole space of the cage 
like an arrow, and the next instant 
seems glued to the perch, without hav- 
ing made an effort to regain its balance. 
During all this moving about it picks 
up a crumb, a nut, a grain of meat from 
its dish; drinks, sipping more than it 
laps, washes its head with saliva, combs 
its hair with the nails of its fore-feet, 
smooths it with the soles of its smaJl 
paws, turning, stretching, stooping all 
the while, as if its skin were a bag in 
which its body sits quite loosely. 
After hunger and thirst are somewhat 
appeased, and the toilet over, a playful 
humor succeeds. Up and down, head 
upward or inverted, along the ceiling, 
or the floor, running, jumping, gliding, 
soaring, hanging, sitting, rushing ahead 
as if it could move a thousand joints at 
once, as if there were no such thing as 
gravity to be overcome." 
215 
