Fes., 1912. Mammats or ILtinois 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: 
“Tt enters the corn 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 larve 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; 
“Tllinois” (adult and juv.), 8; (O.) Oregon, Ogle Co., 2; Warsaw, 
Hancock Co., 1; Kankakee River, 1=109. 
Wisconsin — (S. C.) Beaver Dam, Dodge Co., t. 
*Quadrupeds N. Amer., II, 1854, pp. 112-113. 
