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MAMMALS OF AMERICA 



it hastens up the first small gum, oak, or per- 

 simmon tree within reach, and sits crouching 

 on a limb, with eyes closed to avoid the light. 

 "'Off jacket, Jim, and shake him down!' 

 " As the fellow ascends, the animal continues 

 mounting higher to get beyond his reach. Still 

 he continues in pursuit until the Opossum has 



ANTICIPATION 



A familiar Southern scene, showing the "eternal trisngle," — the 

 'Possum, the Darkey, and the Dog 



reachsd the extreme branches of the tree. The 

 negro now commences shaking the pliant tree- 

 top; while the Opossum, with its hind hands 

 rendered convenient and flexible by its opposing 

 thumb, and with it., prehensile tail, holds on with 

 great tenacity. But it cannot long resist the 

 rapidly accumulating jerks and shocks. Suddenly 

 the feet slip from the smooth, tiny limb, and it 

 hangs suspended for a few moments only by its 

 tail, in the meantime trying to regain its hold 

 with its hind hands ; but another sudden jerk 

 breaks the limb, and down comes the poor ani- 

 mal, doubled up like a ball, into the opened jaws 



of its eager and relentless canine foes, and 

 yields to fate without a struggle. 



" In this manner half a dozen or more Opos- 

 sums are sometimes captured before midnight." 



The Opossum, although a very stupid animal, 

 has one very clever trick. \Mien attacked it 

 simulates death most successfully. At such 

 time.-, the eyes are closed, the muscles are rigid, 

 the breath suppressed, and no amount of rough 

 handling will provoke anv signs of life. The 

 position assumed when " playing 'possum " is 

 that which the animal usually takes when sleep- 

 ing ; the body is curled up. the head between 

 the fore legs, the nose touching the stomach, and, 

 upon the whole, it is the po.;ition best calculated 

 to prevent injury from blows upon the head or 

 breast. This art has probably saved many Opos- 

 :;ums from de.'-truction by other animals. Opos- 

 sums that are partly tamed seem never to practice 

 this peculiar trick. The present writer has found 

 that the most effectual method of reviving the 

 seemingly lifeless animal is to drop it into a pool 

 of water. The immersion usually ends the 

 " playing 'Possum " at once, and the animal 

 speedily seeks the shore. 



It is only just to say that there is a belief 

 among many naturalists that the Opossum never 

 " plays 'Possum," in an attempt to deceive. 

 Says one : " Does the Opossum ever deliber- 

 ately make the effort to deceive its captors by 

 assuming such a position as to appear dead? If 

 such be the case, it will be well to look beyond 

 the mere fact of thus feigning death, and see 

 what such an act, if voluntary, really indicates. 



" First, the real object is to render itself use- 

 less or unattractive to its captors. Now, what 

 is there in O])ossum life that could give rise to 

 such an inspiration ? Could the experience of 

 past generations, exposed as they were to the 

 enemies characteristic of the different environ- 

 ment, do so? 



" Then, in the second place, the assertion that 

 the Opossum feigns death necessarily assumes 

 tliat the animal in question realizes what death 

 is. If so, then in fancying that we see death 

 feigned on the part of the Opossvnn. we ascribe 

 to it a process of reasoning which is fallacious, 

 as the knowledge of death and its certainty is 

 confined to man. 



" Since this is the habit of the Opossum, it 

 must necessarily have originated long prior to 

 the advent of man upon the earth, and been 

 acquired as a safeguard against the attacks of 

 enemies not now existing, which would not 



