THE OPOSSUM. 41 



silvery gray, with a reddish tinge on the belly, the 

 common colour of our opossums ; the shades, however, 

 varying much ; and we also had a variety dark reddish- 

 brown throughout. When in full fur, the skin is very 

 handsome, and has many rich tints. The opossum lives 

 by day in the holes of the large gum-trees, and comes 

 down at night to feed. Their principal food consists of 

 green leaves, grass, vegetables, bread ; and I believe they 

 can also eat cooked meat. They are very partial to the 

 leaves of the peppermint gum, which gives their flesh a 

 rank taste. Their flesh, however, is eatable, for the blacks 

 principally live upon it ; and their method of cooking and 

 eating opossum is primitive and disgusting. They throw- 

 it on to the coals, with the skin on and the entrails in, 

 and when warmed through, tear it to pieces with their 

 hands and teeth. There were few bush-animals and 

 birds which we could not digest, but a tough old opossum 

 beat us. The flesh of the little ring-tail is much more 

 white and palatable, and if served up with rabbit-sauce, 

 would be no bad substitute for rabbit. An opossum 

 just warmed through on the coals is, however, the finest 

 food for dogs. They come down to feed a little after 

 sundown, and remain out till the laughing jackass sounds 

 his morning call. As may be imagined, they are very 

 destructive to bush gardens. The opossum is very 

 nimble in its motions, and when the trees are high, is 

 soon out of gun-shot, especially if the first shot does not 

 bring it down. The only purpose for which we used 

 to shoot them was for the skins, and as food for the 



