THE STORY OF THE OPOSSUM . 
419 
further secure themselves by twining their own tails round that of the parent. 
Many other species of opossums are in the habit of carrying their young 
upon their backs, even though they may be furnished with a well-developed 
pouch, but in the pouchless opossums the young are placed upon the back at a 
very early age, and are retained there for a considerable period. 
- The fore feet are armed with strong and sharp claws, which can find their 
way into every little crevice in the bark, or make one for themselves if neces- 
merian’s opossum. 
sary, and so obtain a firm foothold even upon an upright tree-trunk. The tail 
i? wonderfully prehensile, and is so strong that the opossum can curl it tightly 
round a branch and hang suspended by its aid alone, even when its young ones 
are clinging to its body, and so adding largely to its weight. When plucking 
fruit from a tree, the opossum may often be seen thus suspended from the 
bough above the clusters which it is attacking, so that the fore paws are left 
free to gather the fruit and to carry it to the mouth. 
