ANIMALS 



329 



They are very tenacious of life, and cannot, with- 

 out great difficulty, be killed. In North Carolina 

 it is a well-known adage, " if a cat has nine lives, 

 the opossum has nineteen." 



When the female is about to litter, she selects a 

 place in the thick bushes, at the foot of some tree. 

 Assisted by the male, she then collects together a 

 quantity of line dry grass; this is loaded upon her 

 belly, and the male drags her and her burthen by the 

 tail to the nest. She produces from four to twelve 

 at a time. As soon as they come into the world, 

 they retreat into a pouch or false belly which she 

 has, blind, naked, and exactly resembling little foe- 

 tuses. They fasten closely to the teats as if they 

 grew to them. Here they remain, adhering as though 

 inanimate, till they arrive at some degree of perfec- 

 tion in shape, and obtain their sight, strength, and 

 hair, after which they undergo a sort of second birth. 

 From that time, they use the pouch as an asylunfi 

 from danger. The female carries them about with 

 the utmost affection, and they may frequently be 

 seen sporting in and out of this false belly. When- 

 ever they are surprised, and have not time to retreat 

 into the pouch, it is said, that they will adhere to 

 the tail of the parent, and thus still endeavour to 

 escape with her. 



The American Indians spin the hair of the opos- 

 sum, and dye it red, then weave it into girdles, and 

 other parts of their dress. The flesh is v/hite, well- 

 tasted, and preferred by the Indians to pork ; that of 

 the young eats very much like sucking-pig. 



The opossum is not only remarkable for its pecu- 

 liar organization, but for an unnatural disposition, 



