300 BACKBONED ANIMALS. 
with a long, prehensile tail. The hair is white, tipped 
with brown. They live in the trees, eating fruit, eggs, and 
even small animals. When attacked, they feign death, 
thus often escaping. The young (Fig. 324) are placed in 
the pouch when extremely small, and nourished as other 
marsupials, and when older are frequently seen clinging 
to the mother, their tails curled about hers. The Yapock 
is a water-opossum from South America. The feet are 
webbed; the tail is prehensile and scaly. They feed 
partly upon aquatic animals. 
VaLuE.—In the United States about two hundred and fifty thou- 
sand skins are used yearly. The hair is used in felting, hats, etc. 
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FIG. 325. Eee 
Native Cats (Dasyuride).— These are carnivorous 
and insectivorous marsupials, ranging in size from a rat to 
a wolf. The Tasmanian wolf (Fig. 328) is the largest form. 
The marsupial bones are cartilaginous ; the pouch absent 
