New-York tribune., 1900-10-14
FLYING SQUIRRELS.
ODD WAYS OF THE PARACHUTEs OF
THE WOODS.
From The Hartford Times.

animal is the flying squirrel. He is quiet in
manner and in dress, has an unusually gentle
disposition and attends to his own business
without making nuisance of himself He has
none of the impudence or pUgnaCty of his red
cousin, and he is character Of much greater
refinement than his large and powerful relative,
the gray squirrel.
Though the smallest member of his family
hereabOuts a wOOdsnan he is without
superior. or course. when it comes to tree
climbing and travelling through the tops or
closely grown trees the gray squirrel is simply
magnificent. But in the open woods, where the
trees stand further apart, the flying squirrel has
decided advantage. for ne can just sail through
the air from one tree trunk TO another
Like most people OF real worth, he is modest
and unobtrusve; so much So in fact. that he
may often live in a wood for years without any
one being aware of his presence. Even when IL
IS known that he is there he is seldom seen. for
he usually sets out at dark and is rarely abroad
in the daytime. His appearance is in keeping
with his character. The soft, velvety fur of his
upper parts is Of an inconspicuous shade OF gray
and the under parts are white. The black eyes
are very large and prominent, the Whlskers
dark and long. and the general expression of the
face good natured but earnest The claws are
much curved and as sharp as fshhooks.
But the most peculiar parts of his anatomy
are the membranes by which he is enabled 10
make his long flights, rather sails for
flying squirrels do not really hy) through the
air. These membranes, one on each side Of the
body, extend from the wrist OF the torefoot to
the wrist of the hind foot, and are formed by
the extension of the skin of both the upper and
lower parts. Consequently, though quite thin,
they of double thickness They are covered
with short fur both above and below. When not
in these membranes are inconsplcuous, for'
being elastic, they contract, forming an IT.
regular ridge along each side. When the squir-
rel wishes to fly" he springs into the air from
| the upper part of tree, and by spreading his
legs as wide as he can. stretches the membranes
! taut like the covering Of an open umbrella On
| this natural parachute he is able 70 sail lor
| considerable distance. but always from d hgh
point to a lower one.
His tail also is well adapted to this mode of
! travelling. for. instead of being bushy like those
of other squirrels it is flat, like a feather
! In travelling through a wood a flying squirrel
runs to the top of one tree and jumps IN the dl-
rectiOn of another one along the line OF march
! For about three-fo fourths the distance ne de-
! sCends at angle. which varies according TO
/ the length Of the flight and the height or the
starting point and then with curving upshoOt
! he alights with little smack upon the trunk
| OF the further tree He then runs up to the top
! or near it. and sails away to the next tree and
/ repeats the performance until he has completed
his journey AS a rule the flight is not sharp
and clean cut. bat somewhat quivering or nut
I tering-at least IN appearance inns HuIleIlls
! is not think. the result of any voluntary act
/ on the part of the animal but IS due. snould
say TO the action OF the air upon lle outer euSeS
/ of the membrane. The same effect Is seen, upon
! a larger scale, when the wind flaps the edge OF
a Tnainsail.
! Some flying squirrels build nests of leaves in
the treetops but most of them live in holes In
I the trunks and branches. The last years nest
/ of a downy Woodpecker makes an ideal home Tor
a flying squirrel. and if the tree happens 10
/ without tenant. Into decayed trunk or
/ branch the woodpeCker drills round hole an
/ inch and half in diameter, and then holloWs
autumn. after the young woodpeckers nave
flown the squirrel takes possession, and carries
into the hole a quantity of fine outer bark or
T cedar trees other soft material Sultdble lot
q nest. In November he retireS TO TINS snug re-
/ treat and never so much pOkes his nose out
until the following March. In this respect agaln
the flyer differs from all the other New-Eng-
land SQUIRRELS. The red squirrel may be seen
abroad in all weather, the gray squirrel wakes
up on warm days and comes out for food and
. exercise and even the little chipmunk although
ne remains his underground home gets up
. occasionally TO nibble at his store of grain or
beechuUts. But as far as is known. the lying
squirrel sleeps the winter through.
/ The young are usually born in the latter part
I of March There are generally from four to six
of them, wee. blind and naked, but with a
hereditary tendency 10 cling 10 every thing they
[ touch. The first hair to appear is that OF the
are but a few days old. little later the cut
ting teeth appear in the lower jaw, and every
day the serni-transparent bodies become more
and more fully clothed with the fine soft fur
Before they are hidden by the hair the blue
veins can be readily traced through the delicate
skin. particularly in the flying membranes The
ewes Cpen when the youngsters are a month old;
at least that has been my experience with those
born i'm captivity. When about six weeks old
to play like kittens, but more gently, and TO
nibbIe the crumbs or partly eaten nuts cut
into bv the sharp teeth Of the mother.
And what lovely little mother she IS! she
takes the greatest care of them from the time
they are born. She tUcks them under her, pulls
the cedar bark over them and blocks up the
entrance on cold days TO keep them warm II
YOU put your finger into the hole she VIII rake
all the ba bies out Of harms way with her 'front.'
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