414 



ANIMALS OF 



about four. The feet are like hands, each 

 having five toes or fingers with white crooked 

 nails, and rather longer behind than before. 

 But it is particular in this animal, that the 

 thumb on the hinder legs wants a nail ; where- 

 as the fingers arc furnished with clawed nails 

 as usual. 



But that which distinguishes this animal from 

 all others, and what has excited the wonder of 

 mankind for more than two centuries, is the 

 extraordinary conformation of its belly, as it 

 is found to have a false womb, into which the 

 young, when brought forth in the usual man- 

 ner, creep, and continue for some days longer, 

 to lodge and suckle securely. This bag, if we 

 may so call it, being one of the most extraor- 

 dinary things in natural history, requires a 

 more minute description. Under the belly of 

 the feaiale is a kind of slit or opening, of about 

 three inches long ; this opening is composed 

 of a skin, which makes a bag internally, that 

 is covered on the inside with hair, and in this 

 bag are the teats of the female ; and into it the 

 young, when brought forth, retire, either to 

 suckle or to escape from danger. This bag 

 has a power of opening and shutting, at the 

 will of the animal ; and this is performed by 

 means of several muscles, and two bones, that 

 are fitted for this purpose, and that are peculiar 

 to this animal only. These two bones are 

 placed before the os pubis, to which they are 

 joined at the base ; they are about two inches 

 long, and grow smaller and smaller to their 

 extremities. These support the muscles that 

 serve to open the bag, and give them a fixture. 

 To these muscles there are antagonists, that 

 serve in the same manner to shut the bag ; 

 and this they perform so exactly, that in the 

 living animal the opening can scarcely be dis- 

 cerned, except when the sides are forcibly 

 drawn asunder. The inside of this bag is 

 furnished with glands, that exude a musky 

 substance, which communicates to the flesh 

 of the animal, and renders it unfit to be eaten. 

 It is not to be supposed that this is the place 

 where the young are conceived, as some have 

 been led to imagine ; for the oppossu'ii has 

 another womb, like that of the generality of 

 animals, in which generation is performed in 

 the ordinary manner. The bag we have been 

 describing may rather be considered as a sup- 

 plemental womb. In the real womb, the lit- 

 tle animal is partly brought to perfection ; in 



the ordinary one, it receives a kind of addi- 

 tional incubation ; and acquires, at last, strength 

 enough to follow the dam wherever she goes. 

 We have many reasons to suppose that the 

 young of this animal are all brought forth 

 prematurely, or before they have acquired 

 that degree of perfection which is common in 

 other quadrupeds. The little ones, when first 

 produced, are in a manner but half completed ; 

 and some travellers assert, that they are at 

 that time not much larger than flies. We are 

 assured also, that immediately on quitting the 

 real womb, they creep into the false one; 

 where they continue fixed to the teat, until 

 they have strength sufficient to venture once 

 once more into the open air, and share the 

 fatigues of the parent. Ulloa assures us, that 

 he has found five of these little creatures hid- 

 den in the belly of the dam three days after 

 she was dead, still alive, and all clinging to the 

 teat with great avidity. It is probable, there- 

 fore, that upon their first entering the false 

 womb, they seldom stir out from thence ; but 

 when more advanced, they venture forth 

 several times in the day, and, at last, seldom 

 make use of their retreat, except in cases of 

 necessity or danger. Travellers are not 

 agreed in their accounts of the time which 

 these animals take to continue in the false 

 womb ; some assure us they remain there for 

 several weeks ; and others, more precisely, 

 mention a month. During this period of 

 strange gestation, there is no difficulty in open- 

 ing the bag in which they are concealed ; 

 they may be reckoned, examined, and hand- 

 led, without much inconvenience ; for they 

 keep fixed to the teat, and cling there as firm 

 as if they made a part of the body of the ani- 

 mal that bears them. When they are grown 

 stronger, they drop from the teat into the bag 

 in which they are contained ; and, at last, find 

 their way out, in search of more copious sub- 

 sistence. Still, however, the false belly serves 

 them for a retreat, either when they want to 

 slei'p or to suckle, or when they are pursued 

 by an enemy. The dam, on such occasions, 

 opens her bag to receive them, which they 

 enter, 



-Pars formidinp turpi 



Scanduut rursus equum et nota conduntur in alvo. 



The oppossum, when on the ground, is a 

 slow, helpless animal ; the formation of its 



