THE OPOSSUM. 



PLATE XVIII. 



Class Mammalia. Order V. Marsupiala : Pouched ani- 

 mals. Genus Didelphis. 



THIS is an animal of America, which is easily distin- 

 guished from all others, by two singular characters : the 

 first is, that the female has under the belly a large cavity, 

 where she receives and suckles her young ; the second is, 

 that the male and the female have no claws on the great 

 toe of the hind feet, which are separated from the others, 

 as the thumb in the hand of a man ; whilst the toes are 

 armed with crooked claws, as in the feet of other quad- 

 rupeds. 



The Opossum is not found in the northern parts of Ame- 

 rica ; but he does not constantly dwell in the hottest cli- 

 mates. He is found not only in Brazil, Guiana and Mex- 

 ico, but also in Florida, Virginia, and other temperate 

 regions of this continent. It produces often, and a great 

 number of young at each time. Most authors say, four or 

 five young ; others, six or seven. Marcgrave affirms, that 

 he has seen six young living in the bag of the female ; 

 they were about two inches in length ; they were already 

 very nimble ; they went in and out of the bag many times 

 in a day ; they are still smaller when they are just 

 brought forth. Some travellers say, that they are not 

 larger than flies when they go out of the uterus into the 

 bag, and stick to the paps : this fact is not so much exag- 

 gerated as some people may imagine ; for young ones 

 have been seen in an animal, whose species is like that 

 of the Opossum, sticking to the paps, not larger than a 

 bean. 



The young Opossums stick to the paps of the mother 



