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National Geographic : 1947 May
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"Flying" Squirrels, Nature's Gliders Ernest P. Walker "Chuck, Chuck! I Much Prefer to Be on the Inside Looking Out" Favorite pastime of the pets is investigating shirts and trousers. It's more fun than exploring a hollow tree. Lively scenes often are enacted when Brother and Beautiful conduct their expeditions underneath the clothing of Mr. Walker's guests. and notes every few days from the day they were born until they were practically the size of their parents. At the age of three days they began to show distinct bluish tones on their backs-hair had begun to grow under their skins. By the fifteenth day they were clothed above with a thin gray coat, while beneath they were naked except for a sparse growth of white hairs. As the hair on the back grew longer, the coloration gradually became lighter; at the same time the white fur of the under parts grew longer and denser. The little ones were slow in developing. The mother nursed them until they were fifty six days old, and they tried to nurse occa sionally for two weeks more. "Baby Book" for Twins Two women in a gift shop exchanged sig nificant looks when I made inquiry for cards announcing the birth of twins. The cards were sent to friends who knew our family of little folk. When the babies were about four months old they flew to Brazil with a friend of mine to make their home with her. At last reports they were doing well as much beloved guests. Their baby book follows: 1st day: Naked, blind, pink. Weight 88 grains. 3d day: Traces of coloration on top of head, neck, and shoulders, indicating growth of hair under skin. The young cry frequently. Voice much like twitter of barn swallows. 5th day: Weight ' oz. and 7 grains. Bluish black above. Pink beneath. 8th day: Weight ' oz. and 37 grains. 15th day: Weight 2 oz. and 32 grains. Hair above gray. Naked beneath. Eyes beginning to show slight crack. 20th day: Weight 3 oz. and 50 grains. Upper parts fully haired. Under parts show fine white hairs scantily distributed except on chin. Eyes not yet open, but lids black. Tail and legs black ish. 23d day: Weight 1 oz. Tail black above, whit ish beneath, flattened. Eyes not yet open. 25th day: Eyes have opened during past 12 hours. 28th day: Weight 1 oz. and 82 grains. They crawl fairly well and look fairly bright. Fully haired beneath, white and creamy. 42d day: Weight 1/ oz. and 50 grains. Still nursing but beginning to nibble at solid food. They are beginning to climb about and hang on the sides of the nest bag. Beautiful, the mother, sometimes carries them back into the nest when she thinks they are too venturesome. Brother, the father, does not try to approach
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