VIRGINIAN OPOSSUM. 
117 
dog passing by the body of a fresh killed Opossum, and going off half a 
mile farther to feed on some offensive carcase. 
The Opossum is easily domesticated when captured young. We have, 
in endeavouring to investigate one of the very extraordinary characteristics 
of this species, preserved a considerable number in confinement, and our 
experiments were continued through a succession of years. Their nocturnal 
habits were in a considerable degree relinquished, and they followed the 
servants about the premises, becoming troublesome by their familiarity 
and their mischievous habits. They associated familiarly with a dog on 
the premises, which seemed to regard them as necessary appendages 
of the motley group that constituted the family of brutes in the yard. 
They devoured all kinds of food : vegetables, boiled rice, hominy, meat both 
raw and boiled, and the scraps thrown from the kitchen ; giving the pre- 
ference to those that contained any fatty substance. 
On one occasion a brood of young M'^ith their mother made theii escape, 
concealed themselves under a stable, and became partially wild ; they 
were in the habit of coming out at night, and eating scraps of food, but we 
never discovered that they committed any depredations on the poultry or 
pigeons. They appeared however to have effectually driven off the rats, 
as during the whole time they were occupants of the stable, we did not 
observe a single rat on the premises. It was ascertained that they 
were in the habit of clambering over fences and visiting the neighbouring 
lots and gardens, and we occasionally found that we had repurchased one 
of our own vagrant animals. They usually, however, returned toAvards 
daylight to their snug retreat, and we believe would have continued in 
the neighbourhood and multiplied the species had they not in their nightly 
prowlings been detected and destroyed by the neighbouring dogs. 
A most interesting part of the history of this animal, which has led to the 
adoption of many vulgar errors, remains to be considered, viz., the gene- 
ration of the Opossum. 
Our investigations on this subject were commenced in early life, and 
resumed as time and opportunity were afforded, at irregular, and some- 
times after long intervals, and were not satisfactorily concluded until with- 
in a month of the period of our writing this article, (.Tune, 1849). The 
process by which we were enabled to obtain the facts and arri^m at our 
conclusions is detailed in an article published in the Transactions of the 
Academy of Natural Sciences, April, 1848, p. 40. Subsequent investiga- 
tions have enabled us to verify some of these facts, to remove some obscu- 
rities in which the subject was yet involved, and finally to be prepared to 
give a correct and detailed history of a peculiarity in the natural history 
of this quadruped, around which there has hitherto been thrown a cloud 
of mvsterv and doubt. 
