THE OPOSSUM 



i8S 



and a negro is ordered to climb the tree and shake the opossum 

 down. As fast as he climbs, the opossum climbs higher, until the 

 top of the tree is nearly reached. The poor opossum is driven to 

 the end of a branch, and there hangs on by paws and tail. The 

 negro follows as far as possible, shaking the bough violently. For 

 a time the poor animal 

 maintains its hold, but 

 at last it falls headlong 

 to the ground, and is 

 pounced upon by the 

 eager dogs below. 



In order to make a 

 nursery for her young 

 ones, the mother opos- 

 sum builds a warm and 

 cosy nest of grass and 

 moss and leaves. She 

 usually places this nest 

 in a hollow tree, where 

 it is sheltered from wind 

 and rain, and is not 

 likely to be found. The 

 young are very queer 

 little creatures, scarcely 

 an inch long when first 

 born, and blind. Yet 

 their tails are prehensile 

 from the very first, and are generally coiled round one another's 

 bodies. 



For some time the little animals are kept in their mother's 

 pouch, often poking out their tiny heads to look about them, just 

 like young kangaroos, but when they are about five weeks old 

 they are big and strong enough to leave their protecting shelter 

 and run about by themselves. 



Even after the young opossums have grown to some little size, 

 however, they travel about with their mother. And very odd they 

 look, for they climb up on her back, and, in order to avoid 



Common Opossum 



