The Largo Flying Squirrel

The large red flying squirrel ia intcrestiug. but not beantiful. It is wholly nocturnal, and, liko most nocturnal aninials, is cxtremoly surly and spitefnl if disttirbed in tho rlaytime. It is as large as a cat, witb a face like a rabbit's. lts coloring is extremely brilliant for a mammal, and in general appearanco it resembles some curious monster in a Chinese paiuting. Tlio fur is a ricb and deep cbestnut on ita back, light chestnut below, its bead whito and its oye a dnll palé gray. The wido parachute membrano botween its lcgs is covercd with fnr, and its tail is long, tbiekly furrod and round. This Equirrcl doesnot, "fly" in tbe proper pense of tbo word, but in tho forests its parachute membrane answers its purpose almost cqually as well as wings. It runs with a wouderful atiility up the trnnk of tho tree, and to tho end of a brancb, and then fakes a flying leap, with its iirubs extended to tho utmost and tbe 'wido flesh membrano stretched. This "aerial slido" carrios it forward and dowuwurd to a horizontal distance of perhaps 40 or 50 yards, and it is noticed that, as in tho caso of birds when making uso of tbeir powera of descent with fixed pinioES, the sqnirrel throws itself upward and ascends slightly at tbe close of tho "flight, " perching oír the bough it aims at, witb all tbo lightness of a pigeon descendiug írom a tower. to somo point unon the roof below.