556 ZOOLOGY. 
opossum feeding in the woods and running up on him, flap their 
wings violently over him a few times, when the opossum goes — 
into a spasm, and the buzzards very deliberately proceed to pick 4 
out its exposed eyes and generally take a pretty good bite from a 
its neck and shoulders ; the opossum lying on its side all the time 
and grunting. I have twice seen a buzzard do as described, and — 
once I found a poor creature trying to find something to eat with — 
one eye out and one shoulder entirely gone, evidently caused bya — 
buzzard. ; : 
They dwell in hollow logs, stumps and in holes at the root of the — 
trees. They do not burrow or prepare dens for themselves, but i‘ 
find such as are ready made. I have seen them carrying into 
their holes, at the approach of cold weather, considerable bundles 
of dry leaves rolled up in their tail; they understand the signs of a 
the coming spells of bad weather, and they prepare for it by make 
ing for themselves a good warm bed. They do not hibernate, but 
are found out hunting food in. frosty weather. They possess © 
little caution. Hence they are often found in the poultry houses, 
chicken coops, smoke houses, and even in our dining 1000$, 
rattling about in search of something to eat. I have often pn 
had travelled three 
- directed by the crowing of the roosters. They will catch 
hen and drag her off squalling at the top of her voice pá 
not abandon her until the dogs which have been aroused by a 
bones. They 
will eat bacon, dry beef, carrion, any kind of fowl, rabbits, any 
sort of small game, almost all the insects, 
riety. They voraciously devour the muskmelon, 
` cies of mushrooms; in short they are nearly omnivorous: 
The only case in which it manifests any respectaus Ta 
cautiousness is when it is hunted at night in the forest z 
ing the din and moise of the hunters, it with some difficulty ™ 
el 
shift to climb a small tree or sapling, where, bigest peor 
rasplike tail around some convenient limb, it qmehY ©. 
i $ Je the flesh is ° 
approaching dogs and hunters. By many peop . 
sidered delicious. In Galveston, Texas, in oe Fen 
a good fat opossum will sell for $1.50. Its flavor M" "4 is™ 
of the flesh of a young hog, but is sweeter, eto i 
doubt a more healthy food for man. A dog will "i 
