THE OPOSSUM 43 



hedgehog, and shrew mouse). 4. Carnivorous beasts 

 (such as the Hon, dog, bear, otter). 5. Seals and sea-lions. 

 6. Gnawing beasts or rodents (such as porcupines, hares 

 and rabbits, rats, squirrels, jerboas, &c.). 7. Hoofed beasts 

 (such as horses, swine, deer, oxen, antelopes, goats, sheep, 

 camels, &c.). 8. That of elephants. 9. The order containing 

 the dugong and manatee. 10. Whale sand porpoises. 

 1 1 . The order of sloths, ant-eaters, and armadillos, — 

 called the order of edentates. Such were all the orders 

 any one recognised when the kangaroo was discovered 

 by Cook and Banks. We must for our present pur- 

 pose call special attention to Nos. 2, 4, 6, 7, and 11 

 of the above enumevated oi'ders — namely, the orders 

 of flesh-eating, insectivorous, gnawing and hoofed beasts, 

 and the edentate order. Flesh -eating or carnivorous 

 beasts have the teeth modified in a way of which 

 those of the dog or cat may serve for types. In- 

 sectivorous beasts have the grinding teeth bristling 

 with sharp points, well calculated to pierce the firm 

 envelope of an insect's body. The rodents, or gnawers, 

 have teeth like those of the squirrel or marmot — that 

 is to say, very few in front, and these separated by an 

 interspace from grinders placed more posteriorly which 

 are adapted to crush vegetable food. Some squirrels are 

 known as flying squirrels, and take long jumps with the 

 aid of an extension of the skin of either flank. The hoofed 

 beasts have long legs adapted for getting quickly over 

 the ground with a reduced number of toes to each foot. 

 Lastly, such creatures as the ant-eaters have no teeth at 

 all, but have a long, worm-like tongue, and very powerful 

 claws, while the sloths have feet especially modified for 

 sure and slow progression in trees. 



We may now turn to consider what the beasts 

 were like which naturalists were astonished to find 



