from the nipple into the recipient bag, and at lad 
find their way out, in fearch of more copious fub- 
fiftence. Still, however, the falfe belly ferves 
them for a retreat, either when they are defirous 
of deeping or fuckling, or when they are purfued 
by an enemy : on thefe occafions, the dam opens 
her bag, and the young entering, are protedled 
from danger. 
When on the ground, the Opoffum is a flow, 
helplefs animal. The formation of it's hands is 
alone fufficient to prove it's incapacity of running 
with any degree of fwiftnefs; but, to counterba- 
lance this inconvenience, it climbs trees with great 
facility and expedition. It deftroys poultry and 
birds, fucking their blood, without devouring 
their flefh : it alfo feeds on roots and wild fruits, 
and eagerly hunts after the nelts of birds. It 
walks extremely flowj and, when purfued and 
overtaken, will feign itfelf dead. The female 
forms a nefl for it's young in a bufh or thicket, 
at the foot of fome tree; and brings forth four, 
five, or fix young at a time. 
This creature poffefles the faculty of fufpending 
itfelf by it's tail, which is long and mufcular; and 
in this' fituation, for hours together, with it's head 
hanging downwards, it continues to watch for it's 
prey : and if any animal, which it pofl^fles ftrength 
fufficient to overcome, pafles underneath, it drops 
upon it with unerring aim, and quickly devours 
it. By the adiftance of it's tail, the Opoffum alfo 
flings itfelf from one tree to another, hunts in- 
fers, efcapes it's purfuers, and provides for it's 
fafety. It feems equally partial to vegetable and 
aninial food. It is eafily domefticated ; but proves 
a difagreeable inmate, as well from it's ftupidity 
and figure, as from it's fcent, which, however fra- 
grant in fmall quantities, is uniformly ungrateful 
when copioufly fupplied. 
The fiefh of the old Opoflum is of a texture 
like that of a fucking-pig. The Indian women 
dye the hair of this animal, and weave it into gar- 
ters and girdles. 
Opossum, Molucca; theMus Marfupialis of 
Klein. This fpecies has long, oval, naked ears; 
and a verv vv'ide mouth. Over each eye there is an 
oblong white fpot; the lower fide of the upper 
jaw, the throat, and the belly, are of awhitifh afh- 
colour; the reft of the hair is a cinereous, brown, 
tipt with tawny ; the tail, which is as long as the 
body, is covered with hair near the root, the reft 
being naked; and the clav/s are hooked. The 
length of the body, from the nofe to the tail, is 
about ten inches; the tail is fomewhat longer; 
and, when pulverized, and taken in a glafs of wa- 
ter, is reckoned in New Spain a fovereign remedy 
againft the gravel, the colic, and feveral other 
diforders. 
Bufibn contends, that the Opoflum genus is 
confined to the New World ; but there are incon- 
teftable evidences to refute this aflertion: it is 
found both in Java and the Molucca iflesj and 
alfo in New Holland. 
This fpecies is very plentiful in fome parts of 
the Indies; and is there called Pelander Aroe, or 
the Aroe Rabbit. It's flefh, which is reckoned 
very delicate food, is commonly ferved up at the 
tables of the opulent, who rear the young in the 
fame places where they keep their rabbits. It 
alfo inhabits Surinam, and the hot parts of Ame- 
rica. The female has a pouch or bag under her 
belly, for the reception of her young. 
Opossum, Javan; the Filander of Le Bruvn. 
Vol. II. 
O PO 
This fpecies was firft difcovered by that n a tufa- 
lift, who obferved in Java feveral in an inclofuftf 
along with rabbits, burrov/ing after the fame 
manner, but preferving their young in their 
pouches. The head is narrow and fox-like; the 
ears are upright and pointed ; a brown ftripe pafles 
through the eyes ; the fore-legs are very fnort, and 
furniflhed with five toes ; the hind have only three, 
two of which are very ftrong, the outermoft" flen- 
der and weak. The tail is thick, and fhorter 
than the body; the hair on the body is rude; and 
the face refembles that of the hare. In the up- 
per jaw there are fix cutting-teeth; in the lower 
two; but there are no canine teeth; and the belly- 
is furniflied with a compleat pouch, like the Vir- 
ginian kind. 
Opossum, Murine; the Didelphis Murind of 
LinntEus. This fpecies approaches pretty nearly 
to the Virginian. They both belong to the fame: 
climate, and the fame continent. They likewife 
refemble each other in the form of their bodies; 
in the ftruffure of their feet; in their prehenfi»le 
tails, which are covered with fcales, except at 
their origin, where they are hairy; and in the ar- 
rangement of their teeth, which are more nume- 
rous than in other quadrupeds. But the Murine 
Opofllun is much fmaller; and it's muzzle is 
fharper. The female has no pouch under her 
belly; but only two longitudinal folds near the 
thighs, between which her young attach them- 
fclves to her teats. 
When the young of this fpecies are brought 
forth, they are hardly fo large as fmall beans. 
The litter is very numerous; for Bufix)n tells us, 
that he has feen ten young, each of them afKxed 
to a feparate teat, and yet the dam had four left 
unoccupied. It is probable that the females of 
this genus bring forth a few days after concep- 
tion ; and that the young, at the time of exclu- 
fion, are only foetufes, as they exceed not one 
fourth part of the growth which fcjctufes gene- 
rally acquire at that period. The delivery of the 
mother is therefore but an early abortion; and 
the foEtufes preferve their lives folely by clinging 
to the teats, and never quitting their hold till 
they attain that degree of growth and ftrength 
which they would have naturally acquired in 
the uterus, had they not been prematurely ex- 
cluded. 
This animal burrows in the ground, fixes it- 
felf to the branches of trees by the extremity of 
it's tail, and dans on birds and fmall animals. 
It likewife feeds on fruits, grain, and roots; but 
feems to prefer fifli and crabs, which it is faid to 
catch with it's tail. 
Opossum, Mexican. This creature has large, 
angular, naked, and tranfparent ears ; it's whif- 
kers arc very large and full ; and a flight border 
of black furrounds it's eyes. The face is of a 
dirty white colour, with a dark line down the cen- 
tre ; the hair on the head, and the upper part of the 
body, is afli-coloured at the root, and of a deep 
tawny brown at the tip; the legs are duflcy; the 
claws are white; the belly is of a dull cinereous 
hue; the tail, which is long, and pretty thick, is 
varied with brown and yellow, the hair thick near 
an inch from it's origin, and the reft naked. The 
whole length, from the nofe to the tail, is about 
nine inches; and the tail is nearly the fame. 
This fpecies inhabits the mountains of Mex- 
ico, where it takes up it's refidence in trees. It 
has a prehenfile tail, which ferves inftead of a 
2 M handi 
