23'4r 
LETTERS FROM ALABAMA, 
There it was, dead, evidently, yon would say, if 
you had not detected it the moment before in the 
act of stealing off. The initiated, however, can 
tell areal dead ’Possum from one that is shamming, 
and the overseer directed my attention to the last 
joints of the tail. This, during life, is prehensile, 
used to catch and hold the twigs like a fifth hand ; 
and even in the hypocritical state in which I saw 
it, the coil of the tail-tip was maintained, whereas 
in absolute death this would be relaxed perma-- 
nently. The propriety of correct classification was 
impressed on me during my examination. I inad- 
vertently spoke of it as a singular creature;” but 
creature, or rather “ critter,” is much too honour- 
able a term for such an animal, being appropriated 
to cattle. The overseer promptly corrected my 
mistake. A ’Possum, Sir, is not a critter, but 
a varmint.” 
An hour or two’s sport was the only object of 
the expedition, the game being all consigned to 
the blackies. The flesh of both Opossum and 
Racoon is scarcely ever eaten by the whites, and 
never in summer ; and though the fur of the latter 
is of some value, it was not of sufficient importance 
to be retained. 
Figs are now ripe. There is a fine prolific tree 
in our garden, and I had watched with much in- 
terest the gradual maturing of the fruit, and the 
putting on at length of the soft blue bloom, which 
is the token of ripeness ; until this appears the 
fig is not worth eating. Somewhat impatient to 
taste this far-famed fruit fresh from the tree, I had 
plucked one which appeared to my inexperienced 
eye ripe, being plump, soft, and deep brown; but 
