VIRGINIAN OPOSSUM. 
destni6tive to poultry ; sucking the blood, with- 
out eating the flesh. It feeds, also, on roots^ 
and wild fruits. It walks or runs slower 
than most animals ; but, in climbing trees, is 
very aftive. It hangs suspended by it*s tail 
from the branches, and swings itself among 
the boughs of the neighbouring trees, in search 
of birds and their nests. After killing a small 
bird, it is said to lay down it's prey in an 
exposed situation near a tree; then, mounting 
the tree, to suspend itself by the tail on a 
branch near the bird, with it's head down- 
wards, and wait patiently till some carnivo- 
rous bird comes to carrv it off, on which it 
instantly darts, and thus makes a prey of both. 
A man may easily overtake this animal ; and, 
when caught, it feigns itself dead : but, it is not 
.easily killed, being as tenacious of life as a 
cat. The female makes a warm nest of dry 
grass, in some thick bush at the foot of a tree ; 
bringing forth from four to six young at a 
•time, which immediately take shelter in tlic 
pouch or false belly, and fasten so closely to 
the teats as not to he separated without diffi- 
culty. They are blind, naked, and incre- 
dibly small, so as to resemble foetuses. In 
thi-s 
