82 THE OPOSSUMS. 



fling itself among the boughs of the neighbouring 

 trees ; continues frequently hanging with its head 

 downwards; hunts eagerly after birds and their nests; 

 walks very slowly ; when pursued and overtaken, 

 will feign itself dead; not easily killed, being as 

 tenacious of life as a cat : when the female is about 

 to bring forth, she makes a thick nest of dry grass, 

 in some close bush at the foot of a tree ; the number 

 of young varies from twelve to sixteen. At their 

 birth the young are scarcely more than a grain in 

 weight, blind, naked, and shapeless, nevertheless 

 they find the teats in the pouch, to which they 

 fasten themselves so closely, that they cannot be 

 separated without difficulty : when they have attained 

 the size of a mouse, and all their parts are developed , 

 which takes place in about five days, they then leave 

 the pouch, but return to suckle, or to seek shelter in 

 time of danger. During this time the female shows 

 an excessive attachment to her young, and will suffer 

 any torture rather than permit the pouch to be 

 opened ; for she has the power of opening or closing 

 it, by the means of certain muscles. The flesh of the 

 old animals is very good, its flavour resembling that 

 of a sucking pig ; the hair is dyed by the Indian 

 women, and woven into garters and girdles: the 

 skin is very foetid. 



