THE OPOSSUM. 
185 
'Colour, with naked tail, and black, bare, round- 
ears, edged with white. The head, in its 
§®neral figure, resembles that of the fox ; the 
hiouth is very wide, and armed with sharp 
^eeth. The legs are short, and all the toes, 
Excepting the thumbs of the hinder feet, are 
^^rnished with sharp claws. 
The opossum, when it is on the ground, ap- 
l^sars to be a very helpless animal. The struc- 
of its feet, or rather hands, for they are 
*^ot unlike those of a monkey, prevents it from 
Either walking or running very fast ; but, in 
'^^mpensation for this apparent defect, it can 
'^liinb trees with the utmost ease and expe- 
'^•tion ; and, by the aid of its prehensile tail, 
^''hich is about a foot long, it is more active 
this situation than most quadrupeds. It 
, Unts eagerly after birds and their nests, and 
Very destructive to poultry, sucking their 
lood, without eating their flesh. It also eats 
and wild fruits. 
