The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-03
ODD ANIMALS THAT CAN Fly.
mat DRA0OSS IOUND ~ THr
MAIApAN ARrHIPELAOO
FSON's Feet That Serve ~ wings snnlt.
1ete With PaFaehutea That Deiisht In
Aerial SatteatioH ttytNa F6tes That
atay out Al Slehi and O6 Il6tut Tips,

w MI, that I evef received said Tho No
tufal history collector 'was fof n oolioe
ton ~ wteepd NJ flying animals olhst than
lnsects On birds In hlllnE this otdct I vaa
cotnpeiled n travel over = good par, NJ 'he
world,
'whlle In prehistoric times nyinr Or..
mails, eapatlally feptiien, we're numerous.
the same IA not tire of historical ,imos
The collection when made was not ot.
~tehslve, but II WAS very interesting
'Ong Of the uueereHt flying animals IA
the dragon of the Maiayan Atchil n'nro
This reptile, which looks n little like Dno
dragon Of fable, Ia fitted with loose folls ~
skln on Ia sides which can bn extended
outward by means Of false ribs and 'U.
support The animal In lie flight
II was collecting insects ID the fors' nrc
day when | saw q beautiful butterfly aIeh,
upon a branch. Climbing the tree and
crawling slowly out along the branch.
was almost near enough TO cast my me-,
around Il, when suddenly ! heard a whir IN
the air and looking up quickly saw n dragoo
with outstretched wings aiming, A.
thought, straight at me.
"The sight Of the remarkable and for.
bidding animal 80 close upon me %unncrved
me for a moment and l nearly fell from the
tree. with a graceful bend he alighted on
the branch close to the butterfly. and
before Il could take wing had seized and
devoured II.
'Ihad regained my courage by this ne,
and az the butterfly was gone beyond 70
call I concluded to capture its cnptor and
threw my collecting net over the dragons
head. Although quite a ftnsy affair. It
sufficiently hampered the animals move
ments 20 that I was enabled to get it safely
TO the ground, where ! secured it with
Irvine until / could manufacture a cage
for IL.
Il also ran across a frog able to hy, the
only batraohian that can do 90. The ami
NAL had immense feet; spread out they
covered O larger area than the rest Of its
body.
Thanks to this parachutelike attach
ment the frog was able to fit from branch
to branch and pounce without difficulty
on the small insects which formed its food.
II 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
DetWt6D tIC lOfhufb AIN IN bupo' IL NY
ing frame Of the animal Ia immense, Spread
ing out like the ribs OF an umbrella from the
neck to the extremity OF the body. Prac-
tically the whole body, with the exception OF
the head, is webbed.
"The animal is exceedingly active, dart
ing to the topmost branches of trees, thence
launching itself into space, clearing hun
dreds OF feet in its fight, passing with
ease from tree to tree, crossing wide streams
and even broad valleys in It's aerial fight.
1t is a rather difficult object to find as it 10
nocturnal inits habits, in the daytime band
ing together in large numbers under the
leary branches. 1t Is found only in Suma-
ira, Borneo and Malacca.
zone Of the prettiest Of the class Of flying
animals Is the. flying squirrel. bic little
animal is fitted with a membrane reaching
from the fore to the hind limbs and extend
ing to the wrists Of the limbs.
1They are exceedingly lively and seem
to extract much enjoyment from their
flights, and In places where they are abuDd-
ant q dozen or more may sometimes be
seen enjoying themselves together. Bound
ing lightly into the air from the swaying
summit OF q tall tree, spreading its wings
for q flying leap, one Of these squirrels
glides smoothly and swiftly on an inclined
air plane for thirty, forty, even fifty yardei
guides the body upward for an instant,
with half q somersault, and the creature
settles as light as a feather upon bough or
trunk Of the tree for which it set sail.
"In the forests Of Asia l found the pteromi,
another species of flying squirrel. By the
aid Of the membrane which is spread be-
tween its fore and hind feet it can jump
from one branch to another without the.
slightest difficulty, its movements in the
course Of flight being regulated by its
\ nx-1tnHrin foil tho cnn1a nc n Ghin'G nEnlnt1n1G
are controlled by it's rudder. The animal
Is exceedingly quick in it's movements,
and, like the rest OF the flying squirrels,
nocturnal in its habits.
"The scale tailed squirrels, as they are
commonly called, can APPLY be described
as flying squirrels with climbing irons; the
under side Of the tail being furnished for
some distance from the root with a series
Of large, horny scales, which, when pressed
against the trunk Of a tree, serve the same
purpose as climbing irons.
"The parachute is similar to that Of the
true flying squirrel, but is attached to the
fore limbs at the elbow instead of the wrist,
and is therefore less extensive. The animal
averages about fourteen inches in length,
is Of a bright reddish color, and is found
only in Africa.
Il found a very interesting little flying
animal in Siberia, where it ia called a pola-
touche. This animal looks considerably
like the flying squirrels and has similar
habits. IL is not more than elSht OF zen
inches long, lives in pine or birch forests
and can clear from twenty to twenty-five
yards at a bound.
-On the ground its movements are slow
and awkward, owing to the loose folds OF
skin which impede it, but among the trees
it is wonderfully quick in flying from br"n'h
to branch. 1t Is an exceedingly scarce AM.
NAL, and had a long search before securing
a specimen. ~
"fThe belide or flying phalanger, whichls
found only in Australia, Is remarkaole'
not only for the large size of its parachute,
but also for the abdominal pouch OF the
female, in which, like the opossuln ana
kangaroo, she carries her young. I'M;
little creature also uses its tail as a sort OF
rudder in its fight through the air. It's
much priced by the natives as food.
in tropical regions is found an animal
called the flying fox. 1t is difficult TO say
how this species came to be so named, as
it Is really a bat. ,,
This animal is a living refutation Of ths
assertions OF temperance advocates tha'
animals do not naturally drink intoSi%;(
ing liquors. According to Frames iG?
they often pass the night drinking from
the chatties Of the cocoanut trees wMrn
results either in their returning home "
the early morning in a state OF extreme
and riotous intoxication or in being iolnd
next day at the foot Of the trees sleeping