3 H DAN BEARD'S ANIMAL BOOK 



the mother's breast as the fruit does upon the stalk. 



The common opossum is described by scientists 

 as follows: "Head long and conical, muzzle 

 pointed, ears large and membraneous, rounded, and 

 almost naked, tongue aculeated, internal toe of 

 hind foot opposable to fingers," etc. Equally good 

 and far less technical is the description given by 

 a small street Arab as he gazed at one of these 

 animals in the writer's possession: "Oh, looky, 

 Billy," said he, "see that big rat; hit's got a pig's 

 head, a 'coon's body, monkey's feet, and a rat's 

 tail." The accuracy of the last description may 

 be tested by reference to the engraving on page 

 318 showing the parts in detail 



According to "Wood," fifteen days elapse, and 

 the young opossum comes into this world, a di- 

 minutive, helpless babe, weighing not more than 

 three or four grains, blind, naked and deaf. It 

 cannot even open its mouth, its jaws being sealed 

 together, a small orifice only left at the muzzle, 

 through which it receives its nourishment. One 

 would think it was ill adapted to buffet with the 

 rough world, but Nature, ever kind to her 

 creatures, has ready prepared a soft cradle for its 

 reception, where it is placed by its mother. The 

 opossum, 



LIKE ITS COUSIN, THE KANGAROO, 



is a pouched animal; within the pouch are the 

 mammae; to one of these the young opossum fas- 

 tens itself almost immediately after being placed 



