40 BUSH TTANDEBIKGS. 



CHAPTEE III. 



THE OPOSSUM — THE EING-TAIL — THE FLYING SQUIKKEL — THE TIGE3- 

 CAT — THE NATIVE CAT — THE KANGAROO EAT — THE BANDICOTE— 

 SMALL BUSH ASIMxXXS — THE FLYING MOUSE — THE PLATYPUS — 

 THE SPINY ANT-EATER — DOMESTIC CATTLE. 



Two species of so-called opossum were common in our 

 forests : the large Silver Opossum and the little Ring-tail. 

 "Wherever the gum or peppermint trees grow to any age or 

 size, there you will always find the large opossum ; of 

 course,much more numerous in some localities than others, 

 and generally in the vicinity of water. The silver opossum 

 is something in the size and shape of a large cat, but the 

 tail is long, black, and brushy, the underside being 

 covered with black skin instead of hair. The teeth are 

 not carnivorous, but the front teeth are long. The toes 

 have long sharp claws, and it has a blunt thumb on each 

 hind foot. The nose is pointed, the face round, the 

 countenance mild, the ears large and pricked. A full- 

 grown opossum will weigh about 10 lbs. Unlike the 

 kangaroo, the opossum can curl its tail, and if in falling, 

 a dying opossum catches it round a branch, it dies in 

 that position, and there hangs. The skins vary much in 

 colour, from a dark black-brown, which species is pe- 

 culiar to Van Dicmen's Land, where the opossums are 

 larger and handsomer than in Port Phillip, to a light 



