220 NATURAL HISTORY. 



the hollows of the branches and trunks during the daytime and sally forth in the night. They have a 

 moderate-sized csecum. It must be noticed that the great toe of the hind foot is well developed, has 

 no nail, and enables the creature to grasp, and is thus very useful ; and that they walk plantigrade. 

 The ankle and leg have the same movements as in the Wombats, and the same general anatomy. If the 

 members of the family are compared with those of the families which live in the Australian province, 

 it will be found that they most resemble the Perameles and Dasyures. The Opossums may be 

 divided into three groups : those whose pouch is well developed, those in which it is a mere fold, and 

 those which have webbed feet and live in the water, like Otters. 



SKELETON OF THE CRAB-EATING OPOSSfM. 



THE COMMON OPOSSUM.* 



This is a large kind, and is about the size of a common Cat, and its long, large, pointed head, ending 

 in a naked snout, and having eyes encircled in dusky brown fur amongst the white hair and fur 

 of the head, gives it a very cunning and thoughtful appearance. The ears are black. The tail is long 

 and prehensile, the end being white and the rest black, and the legs and feet are brownish. It is a 

 great climber, and uses its tail almost as much as some of its Monkey companions. Running along the 

 branches, it will often suspend itself by its tail, and give a swing and let go, thus launching its body 

 to a distance, and then it catches at the boughs with its feet and unclawed but prehensile hind toe- 

 thumb. In coming down trees it uses the tail to steady itself, and to prevent too rapid a fall ; and in 

 climbing, the ever-ready tail prevents mishaps, should the clawed toes not grasp sufficiently. The 

 natural food of this Opossum is probably vegetarian, but it is a great birds'-nester ; it will eat roots 

 and fruits, but the early settlers found it very destructive to their poultry, for it catches the birds 

 and sucks their blood, not eating the flesh : consequently, it has been much hunted, and as the fur 

 and skin are sometimes used, the destruction of the Opossum has been great. It is a curious creature, 

 and seems to have gained experience in its struggle with man, and as many stories are told of its 

 cleverness as there are about Reynard the Fox and the Indian Jackal. It will sham death in a most 

 persevering manner, and is at the same time very tenacious of life. 



The skull has strong temporal ridges, which form a sagittal crest, and the arch of the zygoma is 

 well grown. The animal has a longer facial part of the skull and a smaller brain-case than the other 

 Dasyures, and the brain has large olfactory or front lobes. The cerebral hemispheres are small, and 

 there are no convolutions. This is essentially a North American animal, and is found from Mexico 

 to the Southern States inclusive. 



The female brings forth from twelve to sixteen young at a time, and her nest, which is formed of 

 dry grass, is usually at the root of a tree or bush. When first born, the young are said not to be 



* Didelphys virginianum. 





