Now when this little creature wishes to fly he scampers up a tree, spreads out his legs, drawing this loose skin tight like a sail. He then gives a leap, and away he goes through the air, from the top of one tree to the foot of another, as lightly as a bird.

The flying squirrel is covered with fine fur of a pretty chestnut color. The under side of the body is grayish white.

The flying-sail is very thin. When spread it is scarcely thicker than writingpaper. This loose skin is covered with a finer fur than that on the body.

This little animal sleeps during the day and gets his food at night.

"Nuts, beautiful nuts, so sweet and so

good!

We gather them off the tall trees in the

wood."

Bunny, bunny! Where is my bunny? Oh, here he is! I have found him, Frank. Isn't he pretty?

Look at him.

gave him to me last Christmas.

Papa

In school we have been talking about animals. One day we had a lesson about rabbits. When I came home I studied my little bunny. Shall I tell you what I learned?

You see his light, slender body is covered with soft fur. I like to stroke him. His head is quite small, but the ears are very large, so that he can hear every little noise.

While eating or listening, the long,

pointed ears stand up as you see them now. When he runs, his ears lie back on his neck.

Now I will open his mouth so that you can see his teeth. They are just like the squirrel's teeth, only larger. These chisel-shaped teeth tell us he is a gnawing animal.

He gets his food by nibbling and gnawing, just as all gnawers do. Indeed, he

gnaws sometimes just for fun.

No, Alice, if his teeth are like the squirrel's teeth, he must gnaw to keep them the right length, and to keep them sharp.

He eats clover, grass, cabbage, lettuce, tender twigs, and the bark of young trees. Come, bunny, you may stand and let us look at your feet.

His hind legs are so much longer than the fore legs that he can not walk, but he hops or jumps. In running he leaps, so that he gets over the ground very fast.

How many toes do you find on each foot? You see the nails on the toes are well fitted for digging in the ground.

Alice, does this rabbit dig holes in the ground, like the wild ones?

No; but he likes to have his home in a snug little corner.

The soles of his feet are not bare like those of the cat, but they are covered with hair to keep them warm.

9. THE RABBIT'S HOME.

The rabbit's home looks much like the home of the burrowing squirrel.

Many rabbits live in the same place and make their burrows near together. These burrows are connected, forming a little village underground.

This village is called a rabbit-warren. There are many doors to the warren,

so that the rabbit can go to his home on any street he chooses.

The mother rabbit makes a nest of leaves and lines it with fur from her own body.

When born, the young of the rabbit have no fur on their their bodies, and are blind like kittens.

In ten or twelve days the young can see, and in a short time they can take care of themselves.

The rabbit is a very timid animal.

Where does the rabbit live?
How large is the rabbit?
Describe his tail; legs; feet.
Tell about his ears and teeth.
What does the rabbit eat?

Can you catch a rabbit easily? Why not?
Tell a story about your pet rabbit.

If you

haven't a rabbit, tell a story that you have read