Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1881-05-26

One reason doubtless Why squirrels are
so bold and reckless In leaping thro ugh the
trees is that IL tAey miss their hold the fall
will not hurt hem. Every species Of
tree-squirrel seems to be capable of a sort
of iudimentary dglng-al least of making
itself into a parachute, so as to ease or
break fall or a lap from great height.
The so-called flying squirrel does this the
most perfectly. Ii opens It's furry vest
ments, leaps into Ihe air, and sails down
the steep incline from the top of one tree
to the foot of the next as lightly as bird.
But other squirrel know the same trick,
only their coat-skire are not so broad. One
day my dog treed red squirrel in tall
hickory that stood In meadow on the
side of steep hll. To SEE what the
squirrel would do when closely pressed, /
climbed the tree. As drew near lac took
refuge in the topmost branch and then, as
| come on, he boldly leaped into the air,
spread himself out upon it. and, with
quick, tremulous notion Of his tail and
legs, descended quite slowly and landed
upon the ground tmrty feet below me,
apparently none the worse for the leap, for
he ran with great speed and escaped the
dog in another tree.
A recent American traveller in Mexico.
gives still more stiiking instance of this
power of squirrels partially to neutralize
the folce OF gravity when leaping or falling
through the air. Some boys had caught
Mexican black squirrel nearly as large as
cat. 1t had escaped from them once, and,
when pursued, had taken a leap of sixty
feet from the top of pine tree down upon
the roof of house without injury. This
feat had led the Grandmother of one of the
boys 10 declare that the squirrel was be-
witched, and the boys proposed 10 put the
matter to further test by throwing the
squirrel down precIplce SIX hundred feet
high. Our traveller inlerfered, TO see that
the squirrel had fair play. The prisoner
was conveyed IN piilow-alip to the edge
of the cliff and the slip opened, so that he
might have his choice Wheeler to remain a
captive or to take the leap. He looked
down the awful abyss and then back and
sidewise-his eyes glistening, his form
crouching. Seeing no escape In any other
direction, she took flying leap into space
and fluttered rather than fell INTO the abyss
below. His legs began 90 work like those
of swimming poodle-dog, but quicker
and quicker, while bis tail, slightly ele-
waited, spread out like feather fan. A
rabbit of the same weight would have
made the trip in about twelve seconds; the
squirrel protracted it for more than half
minute" and ''landeI ON o. ledge of lime
stone, where we could see him plainly
squat on his hlad legs and smooth his
ruffled plumage, after which he made for
the creek with flourish of bis tail, took a
good drink and scampered away into the
willow thlcket"
The story at first blush seems incredible,
but have no doubt our red squirrel would
have made the leap safely; then why not
the great black squirrel. Rgnea its parachute
would be proporuonately' large9
The tails of the squirrels are broad and
long and flat, not short and small like
those of gophers, chipmunks, weasels, and
other ground rodents, and when they leap
or fall through the air the tail Isarched and
rapidly vibrates. A squirrels tail, there
fore, is something more than flag; it not
only aids hun in flying, but 1t serves as a
cloak, which he wraps about him when he
sleeps. Thus some animals put their tails
to various uses, while Others seem to have
no use for them whatever. What use for
tail has wood-chuck, or q weasel, or a
mouse2 Has pot the mouse yet learned
that it could get in its hole sooner if it had
no tail? The mole and the meadow-mouse
have very short tails. Rats, no doubt,
put their tails ~ various uses. The rabbit
has no use for tall-it would be in It's
way; while its manner Of sleeping is
such that it does not need tail to tuck
itself up with, as do the coon and tue fox.
The dog talks with his, tail; the tail of the
'possum is prehensile; the pOrcpine uses
his tail in climbing and for defense, the
beaver as a tool or trowel; while the tail of
the skunk serves as a screen behind which
it masks its terrible battery.