VIRGINIAN OPOSSUM. 
121 
15 days. As he possessed better opportunities of deciding in regard to the 
time, the animals being in a state of domestication, we are rather more 
disposed to yield to his observations than to our own ; there is, however, 
only the difference of a day between us. 
The young, when first born, are naked and flesh-coloured ; the eyes, to- 
gether with the ears, are covered by a thin integument through which these 
organs and the protuberances of the ears are distinctly visible. The mouth 
is closed, with the exception of a small orifice, sufficiently large to receive 
the teat, which is so thin and attenuated that it seems no larger than the 
body of a pin. Length of body, 7-12ths of an inch ; of tail, 2-lOths. 
The nails, which can be seen with the naked eye, are very distinct when 
viewed with a microscope, and are of a dark brown colom’, small and 
much hooked. The nostrils are open ; the lungs filled with air, and 
when placed in water, the young float on the surface. 
The number of young usually found in the pouch appear to be less 
than those that are born. The highest number we have found in the pouch 
was thirteen, the smallest six ; whereas the preserved uterus brought to us 
by Mr. Fisiiee, contained fifteen. In all such cases, where a greater num- 
ber of young are produced than there are teats, the last of the brood 
must inevitably perish, as those that are attached appear incapable of 
relinquishing their hold. 
The manner in which the young at birth reach the pouch, and become 
attached to the teats, has been the subject of much speculation and in- 
quiry. We had an opportunity of examining this process in part, without, 
however, having been aware at the time that it was going on. We 
intended to dissect a small female Opossum, which had been a few days 
in our possession, but ascertained in the morning at seven o’clock on the 
day our examination was to have been made, that she had three young 
in her pouch ; supposing from her small size, that she would produce no 
additional number, we concluded to spare her life. She was confined in a 
box in our study ; when we occasionally lo'oked at her, we found her ly- 
ing on one side, her shoulders elevated, her body drawn up in the shape 
of a ball ; the pouch was occasionally distended with her paws — in this 
position the parts reached the edge of the pouch ; she was busily em- 
ployed with her nose and mouth licking, as we thought, her pouch, but in 
which we afterwards ascertained, were her young. 
At six o’clock in the afternoon we were induced to examine her again, 
in consequence of having observed that she had for several hours appear- 
ed very restless, when we discovered that she had added four more to her 
previous number, making her young family now to consist of seven. With no 
inconsiderable labour and the exercise of much patience, we removed 
VOL. ii. — 16. 
