148 THE OPOSSUM. 



hands or the extremity of the tail. This organ is always 

 employed by the animal while on the smaller branches of 

 trees, as if to guard against such an occurrence, and it is 

 very useful in aiding the Opossum to collect his food, by 

 enabling him to suspend himself from a branch above, 

 while rifling a bird's-nest of its eggs, or gathering fruits. 



" The food of the Opossum varies very much, according 

 to circumstances. It preys upon birds, various small 

 quadrupeds, eggs, and no doubt occasionally upon insects. 

 The poultry yards are sometimes visited, and much havoc 

 committed by the Opossums, as, like the weasel, this ani- 

 mal is fonder of cutting the throats and sucking the blood 

 of a number of individuals, than of satisfying his hunger, 

 by eating the flesh of one. Among the wild fruits, the 

 persimmon (Diospyros Virginiana) is a great favorite ; and 

 it is generally after this fruit is in perfection that the Opos- 

 sum is killed by the country people for the market. At 

 that season it is very fat ; and but little difference is to be 

 perceived between this fat, and that of a young pig. The 

 flavor of the flesh is compared to that of a roasting pig : 

 we have in several instances seen it refused by dogs and 

 cats, although the Opossum was in fine order, and but re- 

 cently killed. This may have been owing to some acci- 

 dental circumstance, but it was uniformly rejected by these 

 animals, usually not very nice when raw flesh is offered. 



" The hunting of the Opossum is a favorite sport with 

 the country people, who frequently go out with their dogs 

 at night, after the autumnal frosts have begun, and the 

 persimmon fruit is in its most delipious state. The Opos- 

 sum, as soon as he discovers the approach of his enemies, 

 lies perfectly close to the branch, or places himself snugly 

 in the angle where two limbs separate from each other. 

 The dogs, however, soon announce the fact of his presence, 

 by their baying ; and the hunter, ascending the tree, dis- 

 covers the branch upon which the animal is seated, and 

 begins to shake it with great violence, to alarm, and cause 





