The Opossums 



In the meantime she is obliged to forage the woods for food 

 and protect herself and her family as best she may. 



At first thought one might very naturally infer that she 

 would be at a decided disadvantage in being so very literally 

 burdened with a family, yet on the whole she carries them but 

 little longer than most other creatures of her size, the chief 

 difference being that she has them where she can do pretty 

 much as she pleases with them, and in case of injury is much 

 less liable to incur serious results. 



Through the day she sleeps hidden in a hollow tree or 

 stump, or dozes half in sunshine and half in shade among the 

 branches. 



But as daylight fades and the shadows creep through the 

 undergrowth she goes forth to see what the night has to offer 

 her, shuffling along among the dew wet leaves, pouncing on a 

 lizard here or a blundering dorbug that has chanced to upset 

 itself in midflight, or else she follows up the shrill throbbing of 

 a cricket and digs him out from his hiding place. If luck happens 

 to be with her she may discover a nest full of eggs or young 

 birds or mice, it is all one to her. 



She can also climb to the top of the tallest tree in the 

 woods using her tail and hand-shaped feet almost like a monkey, 

 even hanging head down by her tail and one hind foot if nec- 

 essary from a branch just over a bird's nest in order to reach 

 whatever it contains. Her prehensile tail moreover often proves 

 useful in supporting her while she gathers grapes and persimmons 

 and other wild fruits of the forest, and it is said that the young 

 ones when they first come out to see what the world is like, 

 have a way of taking a couple of turns of their own tails about 

 that of their parent and so anchored ride safely on her back. 

 It would seem that these youngsters are not in the habit of 

 occupying the pouch as long as do the young kangaroos, which 

 it is said, remain there for a space of something like eight 

 months, growing in that time from diminutive beings less than 

 an inch long to fairly well-formed kangaroos of ten pounds 

 weight which thrust out their necks when their parent is graz- 

 ing and crop the grass beneath them. Even after they have 

 learned to go alone they often climb back into the pouch again 

 to ride whenever they are tired out. 



Opossums are anything but attractive or intelligent beasts. 



5 



