370 CHAPTERS ON THE NATURAL HISTORY 



get good photographs of, from the fact that they were so rest- 

 less when taken away from their mother. They were not 

 sprightly at all, but simply kept sluggishly on the move; first 

 gaping, then twitching their ears or curling up their tails, and 

 finally, when kept away too long, they would commence to shiver 

 all over. However, I succeeded at last, after many trials, and 

 reproductions of two of my attempts are presented as illustra- 

 tions to the present chapter. 



If there be such a thing in nature as " a chip of the old block," 

 then we most assuredly find it in a young opossum, for any one 

 of these little fellows was the veriest chip alive of its sleepy old 

 dame. It would walk along a twig, holding on in the same curi- 

 ous manner with its hand-like feet, just as the mother pro- 

 gressed upon a larger branch; while thus engaged, its little pre- 

 hensile tail also came into use, and it would curl its delicate 

 distal end about the twig in a gingerly sort of way, with some 

 evident infantile misgivings that it could be much relied upon in 

 event its tiny feet became exhausted from the task. 



During the daytime they were almost continually gaping, and 

 made up a most ludicrous face when they did, that was sure to 

 excite the laughter of those that beheld it, even after a number 

 of repetitions. 



Their marsupial pouches at this age are quite rudimentary, 

 but still perfectly evident, while the bushy extension of the hair 

 at the root of the tail is distinctly seen. The hair of the body is 

 long and coarse, being much shorter and finer upon the head, 

 while upon the rather large white ears it is sparse and extremely 

 fine. Long white hairs are produced from either side of the 

 snout and from above either eye, the latter being round, not 

 large, black, and twinkling. The mouth has a capacious gape, 

 and the entire face and snout are pointed, as in the old one. By 

 the use of tail and feet these young opossums are enabled to 

 hang on to the coat of the mother, and when they all got into the 

 hair of her back they presented a very odd and amusing picture, 

 to say nothing of the enjoyment they exhibited, howbeit it was 

 shown in such a sleepy way. 



A popular writer and observer at my hand says an old opos- 

 sum of this species " is very prolific, producing from six to fifteen 

 at a birth. The young at this period are well formed, and weigh 

 from three to four grains each. As soon as produced they are 

 shoved into the pouch by the mother with her snout, and pushed 



