:t7i 



De possum had as fine a tail as dis dat I am singin'; 

 De tia'rs as long an" thiclc an' strong — des fit for banjo-slringin '; 

 Dat nigger shaved 'em off as short as wash day dinner graces. 

 An' sorted oto'em by de size, from little e's to basses. 



He strung her, tuned her, struclt a jig — 'twas "Nebber min' de 



wedder"; 

 She soun' lilce forty-'leven bands, a playin* all togedder; 

 Some went to pattin', some to dancin'; Noah called de Aggers, 

 An' Ham he sot and knocked de tune, de happiest ob niggers! 



Now, sence dat time — it's mighty strange — dere's not de slight- 

 est showin' 

 Ob any ha'r at all upon de 'possum's tail a-growin'. 

 An' curl's, too — dot nigger's ways; his people nebber los' 'em — 

 For where you finds de nigger, dar's de bango an' de 'possum! 



Habitat. — Common and abundant in the South; generally rare 

 or of irregular occurrence north of latitude of Central Pennsyl- 

 vania. In some of the northern parts of this State the Opos- 

 sum is almost unknown. 



This animal, which is so abundant in the southern 

 states where it is highly prized for food, is quite num- 

 erous in the southern parts of Pennsylvania. In the 

 the counties of Delaware, Chester, York, Lancaster, 

 Cumberland, Dauphin and several others Opossums 

 are plentiful. 



3,500 A YEAR IN CHESTER COUNTY. 



The Messrs. Weil, extensive fur buyers, of West 

 Chester, Pa., say they have, for the last six years, an 

 nually purchased about 2,000 'possum skins in Ches- 

 ter and neighboring counties, and that fully two-thirds 

 of this number were obtained in Chester county. A<; 

 cording to the estimates of several fur-dealers in Ches- 

 ter county it is believed that there are annually sold 

 to the "trade" about 3.500 Opossum skins taken in 

 Chester county. 



MAY KVKNTUAL,L,Y GET TO KLiONDIKE. 



On many of llic higlicr nioiintainnus districts of 

 northern and central T'ennsvlvania these animals are 



