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  FAUNA. 
  

  

  of 
  its 
  discovery, 
  but 
  being 
  since 
  introduced 
  from 
  Europe, 
  

   will 
  not 
  be 
  further 
  noticed; 
  nor 
  will 
  the 
  extinct 
  species 
  

   that 
  formerly 
  had 
  an 
  existence 
  in 
  our 
  limits, 
  of 
  which 
  

   we 
  have 
  now 
  only 
  the 
  fossil 
  remains. 
  

  

  The 
  latter, 
  such 
  as 
  the 
  mastodon, 
  megalonyx, 
  zeuglo- 
  

   don, 
  mososaurus, 
  tapir, 
  &c., 
  those 
  colossal 
  and 
  antique 
  

   forms 
  of 
  animal 
  existence, 
  will 
  find 
  a 
  more 
  appropriate 
  

   place; 
  constituting 
  a 
  prominent 
  feature 
  of 
  the 
  palaeon- 
  

   tology 
  of 
  the 
  State, 
  they 
  will 
  under 
  that 
  head 
  occupy 
  

   their 
  proper 
  position 
  in 
  this 
  report. 
  

  

  Of 
  the 
  Opossum, 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  said 
  that 
  it 
  continues 
  to 
  

   be 
  quite 
  abundant 
  even 
  in 
  the 
  older 
  settled 
  and 
  most 
  

   densely 
  populated 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  State, 
  notwithstanding 
  

   that 
  it 
  is 
  the 
  favorite 
  game 
  of 
  the 
  negroes, 
  by 
  whom 
  it 
  

   is 
  much 
  hunted 
  and 
  highly 
  esteemed. 
  The 
  flesh 
  is 
  re- 
  

   garded 
  by 
  many 
  as 
  truly 
  an 
  epicurian 
  dish, 
  in 
  despite 
  of 
  

   popular 
  prejudice, 
  and 
  the 
  fat 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  possess 
  a 
  mild- 
  

   ness 
  that 
  never 
  cloys. 
  

  

  The 
  abdominal 
  pouch 
  with 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  provided, 
  for 
  

   rearing 
  and 
  sheltering 
  its 
  young, 
  has 
  ever 
  excited 
  the 
  

   curiosity 
  and 
  stimulated 
  the 
  inquiries 
  of 
  the 
  naturalist; 
  

   and 
  its 
  office, 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  gestation 
  and 
  parturi- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  the 
  animal, 
  has 
  been 
  much 
  discussed. 
  

  

  The 
  speculations 
  on 
  the 
  subject, 
  and 
  the 
  problem 
  

   whether 
  the 
  young 
  is 
  originally 
  produced 
  in 
  the 
  exterior 
  

   sack, 
  or 
  pouch, 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  the 
  mammee, 
  as 
  has 
  

   been 
  supposed 
  by 
  some, 
  or 
  receives 
  its 
  early 
  development 
  

   in 
  the 
  uterus, 
  has 
  only 
  been 
  recently 
  solved 
  satisfactorily 
  

   by 
  the 
  patient 
  and 
  minute 
  investigations 
  of 
  Audubon 
  

   and 
  Bachman. 
  

  

  How 
  curious 
  is 
  the 
  structure 
  of 
  our 
  miniature 
  ptero- 
  

   dactyle, 
  the 
  bat, 
  the 
  connecting 
  link 
  between 
  the 
  deni- 
  

   zens 
  of 
  the 
  air, 
  and 
  those 
  of 
  earth 
  ? 
  Its 
  large 
  crape-like 
  

   leather 
  wing 
  is 
  a 
  study 
  of 
  itself. 
  

  

  