THE; ViCTORIAX NATURAOST. 55 



about as long as the corolla ; fruit glabrous, hardly narrowed at 

 the upper end. 



Near the eastern sources of the Blackwood-River ; Miss 

 Crouin. 



It differs from A. tenella in the longer and softer vestiture, in 

 the stronger copiously bracteated peduncle and in the more 

 elongated but not plumous pappus-bristlets. 



A. tenella occurs at Fowler's Bay (Mrs. Richards), Eucla 

 (Oliver), Point Culver (Carey). 



A. stricta attains a height of 3 feet ; it is now known also 

 from near Stirling's Range (F. v. M.). 



A. australis grows at the Serpentine-River (F. v. M.) and the 

 Blackwood-River (Miss Hester). 



A. gracilis extends from Swan-River (F. v. M.) to Mount 

 Ridley and the vicinity of Esperance-Bay (Dempster). 



A. multiceps can now also be recorded from the Greenough- 

 River (F. v. M.), the Tone-River (Muir) and Israelite-Bay (Miss 

 Brookes). 



A SAGACIOUS OPOSSUM. 

 The opossum is not usually credited with the possession of a 

 wonderful amount of sagacity, and the subjoined account of 

 the experiences with regard to a pet animal will, no doubt, be 

 read with interest. The authority is Mr. Joseph Mack, J. P., 

 the genial president of the Hampdenshire Council. Mr. Mack 

 relates that several years ago his sisters were disturbed one 

 night by the sound of soft scratching on the window, as if some 

 animal were trying to enter. Upon opening the window they 

 saw an opossum, an animal that was rarely seen in those days 

 on the plains. They fed the animal with sugar, and continued 

 to do so night after night until it became quite domesticated. 

 Some time after a clergyman, the Rev. Mr. Smith, was visiting 

 the station, who expressed a desire to get a tame opossum to 

 take home with him. He was made a present of the one that 

 had taken up its abode in such a peculiar manner at the station. 

 Mr. Smith took the opossum with him when he resumed his 

 homeward journey to Bellarine, about 65 miles distant. About 

 nine nights after the Misses Mack were again disturbed by the 

 sound of something scratching at the window, and, on lifting up 

 the sash, to their great surprise they saw the pet opossum which 

 had been given to the clergyman. Some months afterwards 

 Mr. Smith was again at the station, and he then informed the 

 family that he had taken the opossum home to Bellarine, and 

 placed it in a presumably secure place for the night. It effected 

 its escape, however, and the ninth night later it returned, as 

 already stated, to the station, 65 miles distant, and resumed its 

 scratching at the window, with the object, no doubt, of attracting 

 attention. — Camperdown Chronicle. 



