THE OPOSSUM. 231 



An American adage The Surinam opossum. 



have not time to retire into the pouch, it is said, 

 they will adhere to the tail of the parent, and 

 thus still endeavour to escape with her. They 

 appear to be hardy animals, and are so tenacious 

 of life, 'that in North Carolina it is a common 

 adage, If a cat have nine lives, the opossum has 

 nineteen. Their flesh is white, and well-tasted, 

 and that of the young is said to eat very much 

 like sucking pig. Their hair is spun and dyed by 

 the Indians, who weave it into girdles, and other 

 articles of dress. 



THE SURINAM OPOSSUM. 



THIS animal was first described by Sibillas- 

 Morian, a German artist ; from whom some au- 

 thors have called it the Merian Opossum : but a 

 figure and description was afterwards given by 

 Si ha. According to that writer, it has sparkling 

 eyes, surrounded with a circle of brown hair: the 

 teeth are pointed and very sharp ; and there are 

 long hairs, in form of whiskers, on the upper 

 jaw, and above the eyes : the ears are naked, and 

 the teeth remarkably sharp. The body is covered 

 with soft hair of a reddish yellow on the back, 

 and of a yellowish white on the snout, forehead, 

 belly, and feet. Upon the tail of the male, which 

 is naked and of a pale red, there are some dark 

 spots not perceptible in the female. The fore 

 paws resemble those of the ape ; having four fin- 



