Photo by George Shiras, 3rd 



A r'r.ORIDA OPOSSUM GRABS THE BAIT AND PHOTOGRAPHS HIMSKL^ (SEl^ PAGE 805) 



This animal is the only American marsupial and, being very prolific, is abundant throughout 

 its range, though seldom seen in the daytime 



lowstone, since there were several side 

 channels, deep ba3^ous, and a couple of 

 other streams entering the bay. 



While thus paddling about we saw 

 thousands of geese and ducks, mostly 

 females with their broods, and all as wild 

 and unapproachable as those in a less 

 secure retreat ; for migratory wild-fowl, 

 shot at eight or nine months each year, 

 do not lose their dread of man in the 

 short nesting period, unless brought into 

 continuous contact with those who can- 



not kill, as is the case in the many ponds 

 alongside the park highways, where the 

 birds sit preening themselves as the 

 heavily laden coaches rattle by. With 

 game animals the same is true, for those 

 about the tourist hotels are frequently 

 tamer than domestic stock, jusc as those 

 in the more secluded parts of the park 

 are the wildest of the wild. 



On entering the river, the current, after 

 a few miles, became much stronger than 

 expected ; and as, at best, a cumbersome 



811 



