40 3TATTJHAL HISTOET SKETCHES. 



CHAPTEE III. 



THE OPOSSUM THE RING-TAIL THE FLYING SQUIRREL THE TXJEB- 

 CAT THE NATIVE CAT THE KANGAROO BAT THE BANDICOTE 

 SMALL BUSH ANIMALS THE FLYING MOUSE THE PLATYPUS 

 THE SPINY ANT-EATER DOMESTIC CATTLE. 



Two species of so-called opossum were common in our 

 forests : the large Silver Opossum and the little Stiff-tail. 

 "Wherever the gum or peppermint trees grow to an; age or 

 size, there you will always find the large opossum; of 

 course, much more numerous in some localities thai others, 

 and generally in the vicinity of water. The silver opossum 

 is something in the size and shape of a large cat but the 

 tail is long, black, and brushy, the undersice being 

 covered with black skin instead of hair. The leeth are 

 not carnivorous, but the front teeth are long. The toes 

 have long sharp claws, and it has a blunt thumb on each 

 hind foot. The nose is pointed, the face rmnd, the 

 countenance mild, the ears large and pricked A full- 

 grown opossum will weigh about 10 Ibs. Unlike the 

 kangaroo, the opossum can curl its tail, and if |in falling, 

 a dying opossum catches it round a branch, (it dies in 

 that position, and there hangs. The skins vaiy much in 

 colour, from a dark black-brown, which species is pe- 

 culiar to Van Diemen's Land, where the opossums are 

 larger and handsomer than in Port Phillip, to a light 



