New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-07-15
THE DAILY CRESCENT.
The Flying Squirrel.

i THE DAILY CRESCENT.
n The Flying squirrel
n We reoollect locality not many miles from
Philadelphia, where, in order to study the
habits Of this interesting species, we occasion
Tally strayed into the meadow, containing here
+ and there immense oak and beech trees One
#Afternoon we took our seat on q log in the
Hvicinity, to watch their lively motions. 1t was
#during! the calm, warm weather peculiar to the
beginning Of Autumn During the half hour
before sunset, nature seemed to be in q state Of
silence and repose. The birds had retired to the
shelter Of the forest. The night-hawk had
already commenced his low evening fight, and
here and there the common red bat was ON the
wing; STILL for some time, net flying squirrel
made its appearance. Suddenly, however, one
4 emerged from its hole, and ran up to the top Of
j q tree; another soon followed, and ere long
3 dozens came forth, and commenced their grace
4 full flights from some upper branch to lower
A Dough. At times, one would be seen darting
+ from the topmost branches Of o tall oak. and
with wide extended membranes and out-spread
4 tail gliding diagonally through the air, till it
reached the foot of a tree about fifty yards off,
when at the moment we expected it to strike the
earth, it suddenly turned upward, and alighted
ION the body of tree. 1T would then run to the
s. top, and once mere precipitate itself from the
Esbranches, and sail back again to the tree it had
just left. Crowds of these little creatures Joined
An these sp0rtive gambols; there could not have
been less than two hundred. Scores Of them
& would leave each tree at the same moment, and
W cross each other, gliding like spirits through
air, seeming to have no other object in view than
& to indulge a playful propensity. We watched
! and unused till the last shadows Of the day had
II disappeared, and darkness admonished US to
leave the little trifers to their nocturnal enjoy
ments
During the day the species avoids the light;
its large eyes, like those Of the owl, can not en-
counter the glare Of the sun; hence, it appears
TO be dull and uninteresting pet, crawling into
y your sleeve or pocket, and seeking any dark
place Of concealment But twilight and dark
ness are it seasons for activity and pleasure.
& AT such times, in walking through the woods, o
rattling Of aoorns, chestnuts and beech-nuts
give evidence that this little creature is supply
ing itself with food above you.
@$ This is harmless and very gentle species,
II Becoming tolerably tame in few hours After
9 few days it will take up its residence in some
L creyice in the chamber, or under the caves of
4 the house, and it or its progeny may be seen in
the vicinity years afterwards On one occasion
1--WE took from a hollow tree four young with their
dam; she seemed quite willing to remain with
them, and was conveyed home in the crown of o
hat. We had no cage Immediately at hand, and
\ placed them in drawer in our library, leaving
Next morning we aacertained that the parent
had escaped through the crevice, and, as the
window was open, we presumed that she had
abandoned her young rather than be subject to
Ekconfnement in such narrow and uncomforta-
81 BILE prison. We made efforts for several days to
preserve the young alive by feeding them on milk;
they appeared indifferent about eating, and
yet seemed to thrive, and were in good order
A few evenings afterwards we were surprised
and delighted to SEQ the mother glide through
4 the window, and enter the still open drawer; in
a moment she was nestled with her young She
had not forsaken them, but visited them nightly,
and preserved them alive by her attention
We now placed the young in box near the win
dow, which was left partly open In short
time she had gained more confidence, and re-
4 manned with them during the whole day. They
became very gentle, and they and their descend
ants continued to reside on the premises for sew
eral years During the first winter they were
j confined to the room, boxes were placed in diff
: ferent parts Of it, containing Indian meal,
Z acorns, nuts, etc. AS soon as it was dark they
I were in the habit of hurrying from one part Of
4 the room to the other, and continued to be full
Of activity during the whole night. We had in
the room wheel, that had formerly been
attached to the cage of Northern gray squir-
rel. To this they found an entrance, and they
often continued during half the night turning
the wheel; at times we saw the whole group
in at once. This squirrel, we may conclude,
resorts to the wheel, not from compulsion but
for pleasure.
They are gregarlous, living together in con-
Hiderable communities, and do not object to the
4 company of Others and even quite different an
irals- For example, once assisted in taking
D down an old martin box, which had been for q
%great number of years on the top of a venerable
3locust-tree near my house, and which had some
eight or ten apartments. As the box fell to the
4 ground, we were surprised to see great numbers
Sof flying sqirrels screech owls and leather
winged bats running from it. We caught sew
eral Of each, and one Of the flying squirrels was
& kept as pet in cage for six months The various
4 apartments Of the box we're stored with hickory
nuts, chestnuts, acorns, corn, etc., intended for
& the winter supply Of food. There must have
been as many as twenty flying squirrels in the
y box. as many bats, and we know there were six
screech owls. The crevices Of the house were
I always inhabited by the squirrels The docility
OF the one we kept as o pet was remarkable;
\ although he was never lively in the day time,
! he would permit himself to be handled and
spread out to the pleasure of any one. We
/ frequently took him from the cage, laid him on
the table, or on one hand, and exposed the extern
sion .of his skin, smoothed his fur. put him in
our pocket or bosom, ETC., ne pretended all the
while to be asleep.
It WAS o common occurrence that squirrels
flew into the house on 8 Summers evening when
the windows were open, and at such time we
caught them. They were always perfectly harm
less. Although frequently seized them in my
hand, was never bitten. We caught SO many
OF them one season that the young girls bordered
their winter caps with their tails, which are
very pretty. It was curious circumstance
that the flying squirrels never descended to the
\ lower part Of the house, and we never knew of
any rats in the upper rooms. Whether the
squirrels or the rats were the repulsiye agents,
DO not know; certain it is, they never inhab-
tied the lower location in common. [Audubon
4 NEW JERSEY ZINC Plaintiffs sub
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sns masnaeoI an assortment. of Zinc Paints
Gus which they offer the
uodatng terms Ground in o packages
ih shoA, white, Brown and sione Cnlors.s by
NJ B0GERT. WILLIAMS CO., 10 Camp street.
ifrarr ~ -.