The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1875-12-23
oPossUMs AND THEIR YOUNG.

In the description of Virginia., l649.
says professor w. S. Barnard, the opos-
cum was noticed as "beast that hath
bagge under her belly into which she
takes her young ones, if al any time al
frighted, and carries them away"
Lawson says:
She is the wonder OF all animals.
The female doubtless breeds her young
at her teats, for l have seen them stick
fast thereto when they have been no big
ger than a small raspberry. and seem
ingly inanimate. She has u pouch or
false bell, wherein she carries her young
after they are from those teats, till they
can shift for themselves; II cat has
nine lives, this creature surely has nine
teen; for, If you break every bone in
skin, and mash their skull, leaving them
for dead, you may come an hour alter
and they will be gone away. Their fur
is not esteemed nor used, save that the
Indians spin it into girdles and garters.
The opossum is the typical and only
North American representative Of that
large order of peculiar mammals known
as marsupials. Its mode Of repro
duction has long remained mystery,
and even at this day almost nothing is
known of its development, which when
thoroughly understood must explain the
origin OF the pouch and other parts char
acterizing marsupials, and their rcla-
tionship to allied groups. With the gen.
eral proportions OF the common rat, al
most the size Of domestic cat it pre-
sents a rather disagreable appearance
and odor. A dense coat OF light.gray
wool, with scattered long hairs inter
spersed, covers the body. while the short
ears, the eyes, the long, pointed nose,
the feet and tail, are colored quite dark.
The strong, round, slender tail is desti-
tute of hair, but covered, like the beavers
with scales. But the most peculiar fea.
ture Of this animal is the mammary
pocket or marsupIum, formed by q fold
ing in OF the skin on the abdomen. 1T
character is marked by wonderful cum
ming and stupidity combined. The day
time it spends in slothful idleness, but
prowis about nocturnally seeking iol
food. Walking or slowly ambling at ar
awkward gait, it proceeds from place Z
place. usually following the borders Q
streams and ponds, often wading wher
! the water is shallow. Among the tree
it manifests astonishing agility, climbing
or swinging from branch TO branch wit
astonishing quickness. II fares promiscu
ously on fruits, vegetables, eggs, insects
|. worms. reptiles, small guadrupeds, an
birds, often stealing domestic fowls.
? commonly hides among vines an
! branches, in hollow trees or logs, or j
: holes in the ground. In autumn th
: opossums become exceedingly fai, N
! are priced for food in the Southcr
States, especially BY the negroes. I'll
animal is usually stupid, sullen and SLOW
: but if attacked assumes terribly fiers
!, attitude, snaris, utters kind of hiss (
; low growI and will often bite ieTociou
~. though at the first blow viii usual
2 leigh death. No amount OF torture wi
make it revive or show sign Of suffe
}, ing, but when beaten and left Tor dea
q it will often crawl away as soon as ]
enemy Is gone. Its great endurance
, also shown by the fact that when fat
can live for three or four weeks wit
ont food or water. The female i vel
y fond Of her Joung. enjoying with The
e that domestic felicity portrayed by Flo
inl in in his happy fable. Il saEigne