Feb., 191 2. Mammals of Illinois and Wisconsin — Cory. 55 



when surprised often lie perfectly still and pretend to be dead, 

 ''playing possum" as it is called. They will then usually permit 

 themselves to be lifted by the tail and for a short time will hang 

 limp and motionless; but care should be taken not to trust them 

 too far, for their teeth are very sharp, and they can bite viciously 

 when once they have made up their minds to do so. The Opossum 

 usually makes its home in a hollow tree, log or stump, although 

 it occasionally prefers a hole in the ground. It is omnivorous, eating 

 almost anything in the way of food, including birds and eggs, mice, frogs, 

 fish, insects and fruit of various kinds. Audubon and Bachman say: 

 "It enters the com fields (maize), crawls up the stalks, and sometimes 

 breaks them down in the manner of a raccoon, .to feed on the young and 

 tender grains; it picks up chestnuts, acorns, chinquapins and beech 

 nuts, and munches them in the manner of a bear. We have, on dis- 

 section, ascertained that it had devoured blackberries, whortleberries, 

 and wild cherries, and its resort to the persimmon tree is proverbial. 

 It is also insectivorous, and is seen scratching up the leaves in search 

 of worms, and the larvas of insects, of which it is very fond. In early 

 spring it lays the vegetable kingdom under contribution for its support, 

 and we have observed it digging up the roots of the small atamamasco 

 lily (Zepherina atamasco), and the young and tender shoots of the 

 China brier {Smilax rotundifolia) , as they shoot out of the ground like 

 asparagus. It is moreover decidedly carnivorous, eating young birds 

 that it may detect on the ground, sucking the eggs in all the partridge, 

 towhee bunting and other nests, it can find in its persevering search. 

 It destroys mice and other rodentia, and devours whole broods of 

 young rabbits, scratching about the nest and scattering the hair and 

 other materials of which it was composed. . . . We must admit 

 that it sometimes makes a sly visit to the poultry house, killing a few 

 of the hens and playing havoc among the eggs. The annoyances of 

 the farmer, however, from this mischievous propensity, are not as 

 great as those sustained from some of the other species, and cannot 

 for a moment be compared with the destruction caused by the weasel, 

 the mink, or the skunk."* The flesh is esteemed by many people, 

 especially negroes, but it has a peculiar oily flavor which is not always 

 agreeable. The skin when dyed makes a not unattractive fur. 



Specimens examined from Illinois and Wisconsin: 

 Illinois — Olive Branch, Alexander Co., 2; Bogota, Jasper Co., 5; 



"Illinois" (adult and juv.), 8; (O.) Oregon, Ogle Co., 2; Warsaw, 



Hancock Co., i; Kankakee River, 1 = 19. 

 Wisconsin — (vS. C.) Beaver Dam, Dodge Cd., i. 



* Quadrupeds X. Amer., II, 1854, pp. 11 2-1 13. 



