The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1906-10-06
ODD Animals That Can Fly

OCu Animals ] nat IAN Fiy
One Of the most interesting orders
and at the same time one Of the most
difficult to fill, that | ever received. >
said the natural history collector, was
for collection of winged or flying
animals other than insects or birds.
In filling this order | was compelled to
travel over good part Of the world,
While in prehistoric times flying
animals. especially reptiles, were nl-
merous, the same is not true of histor-
ical times The collection when made
was not extensive, but it was very in
terestinG.
One CT the queerest flying animals
is the dragon of the Malayan Archi
pelago. This reptile, which looks a
little like the dragon Of fable, is ft-
ted with loose folds on its sides. which
can be extended outward by means of
false ribs and thus support the animal
in its flight
Il was collecting insects in the for
butterfly alight upon a branch. Climb
ing the tree and crawling slowly out
along the branch. was almost near
enough to cast my net around it. when
suddenly heard a whir in the air and
looking up quickly saw dragon with
Outstretched wing aiming, as |
thought, straight at me.
The sight of the remarkable and
forbidcing ANNA! SO close upon II I'M
nerVed me for moment and | Eearly
fell from the tree. With graceful
bend he alighted on the branch close
to the butterfly and before it could
take wing had seized and devoured it,
Il had regained my courage by this
time, and as the butterfly was gone
beyond recall concluded to capture its
captor and threw my collecting net
over the dragons head Although
tlimsy affair it sufficiently hampered
tho animals movements so that | was
enabled to get it safely to the ground,
where | secured it with twlne until
could manufacture a cage for it.
II also ran across frog able to
fly. the only batrachian that can do so,
The animal had immense feet; spread
out they covered a larger area than
the rest of its body.
Thanks to this parachuteiihe at
tachment the frog was able to fit from
branch to branch and pounce without
difficulty on the small insects which |
formed its food. 1t was a very pretty |
little beast, bright green on the back
and orange colored underneath, dotted |
with black or blue spots.
THE colugo, or flying lemur, is half
way between the lemurs and the bats.
The flying frame of the animal is i'm
mense, spreading out like the ribs OF
an umbrella from the neck to the
extremity of the body. Practically the
whole body. with the exception of the
head is webbed.
THE animal is exceedingly active.
darting to the topmost branches of
trees. thence launching itself into
space. clearing hundreds of feet in its
fight passing with ease from tree to
rec. crossing wide sx7eams and even
broad valleys in its aerial fight. 1t is
, rather difficult object to find as it
S nocturnal in its habits, in the day.
ime banding together in large num-
1ers under the leafy branches. 1t is
'ound only in Sussatra, Borneo and
Malacca
One of the prettiest of the class of
lying animals is the flying squirrel.
This little animal is fitted with men,
lrane reaching from the fore to the
lind limbs and extending to the wrists
If the limbs.
They are exceedingly lively and
eem to extract much enjoyment from
heir flights and in places where they
re abundant a dozen or more may
ometimes be seen enjoying themselves
ogether. Bounding lightly into the
ir from the swaying summit of tall
rec, spreading its wings for d flying
cap, one Of the squirrels glides
and swiftly on an inclined
ir plane for thirty, forty, even fifty /
ards: when movement of the rud-
er like tail guides the body upward =
Or On f.etant, with half somersault.
nd the creature settles as light as a :
Gather upon bough or trunk of the ,
roe for which it set sail. New York {
I'm.