90 SOME CAUSES OF THE DECAY OF AUSTRALIAN FORESTS. 
His predilection for different kinds of leaves was easily tested. 
He would eat cherry-tree, lightwood, and honeysuckle rather than 
starve, but the common gum-tree of the district was plainly his 
favourite food. He required water, and could be heard lapping it 
up like a cat. When an ample supply was given him, the manner 
similar to the manner in which the leaves on the “spectral” trees 
had been treated. The marks left as by an animal biting the 
leaves with a mouth about the size of the mouth of an opossum 
was oases of the same character in both cases. 
Exp —Some points which came to the surface during 
the revous pian tions may now be shortly considered in the 
light of the 4 OO that the opossum has been the operator in 
the destruction of trees in the locality already described. e 
was the case of the trees from which all the leaves had ied IN 
except a few very small tufts on the topmost branches. But 
most cases there was not even a topmost tuft of leaves which Aare 
not been visited with the lacerating agent which gave the leaves 
their “spectral” appearance. The question arises how could 
opossums, which are bulky and weighty creatures, reach the to 
most of slender branches to nibble the leaves? To this it is to be 
_ replied that the very young opossums could secure foothold where 
the weight of the older ones would break the branches. But 
more than this, the opossum is peculiarly fitted for reaching leaves 
he n 
bend it towards him. He can i. — the leaves and let go 
the oom to return to its former 
other apparent difficulty can “ ade well per gms on the 
t 
opossums to gather in greater numbers at this particular water- 
hole in which there was a more ——— supply of water. The 
of 
considerable size and age in the Woodbourne Forest, keeping its 
a while great numbers of apparently healthy young trees were 
tten as with some plague and died. A great scar on this tree 
