The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1876-06-30

finaliy' Me opossum's laws are not
like those or cat. The front paw or
hand, has the hgers longer and more
slender. The hino foot or paw has five
toes instead of fourSqnd the inner toe,
corresponding to our\yreat toe, stands
out from the foot like athumb. This
enables the opossum TO clinfa very well,
and to grasp things with its fost as well
as with its hand.
But there is another difference between
an opossum and n cat. You know that
when a pussy has kittens they are big
ger than mice and covered with hair
they can squsak, too, and tumble about
in the bed the old cat has made for
them in the hay or on an old coat, or,
maybe, in mammals best bonnet
(thOugh cats say the bonnets nowadays
are too small for large family to be
comfortable in.)
But when little opossums are born,
they are only an inch or two long. They
have no hair, and can only move little
by rolling to and fro; and they are not
known to make any noise at all. In
fact, they are so helpless, that perhaps
it wonld not be safe for the mother to
leave them alone while she went to get
something to eat. why the papa opos-
sum could not take turns with her, we
do not know. Some papa frogs and
fishes are very good nurses indeed.)
So the old mother opossum has q sort
of pocket to carry her children in. Not
like your pockets, for opossums have
hair instead Of frocks and coats, and
pantaloons. Nor does it hang outside
like a satchel, for it might be caught on
tvig, and the little opossums all spilled
out.
The opOssum's nursery bag is on the
front of the body, just below the waist.
There is an opening leading into a wide
pouch, lined with skin and soft hair
But there is more than this. For little
epossums must have milk, like kittens
and puppies and calves. 50 in the
pouch are several little teats, and when
the opOssums are born they are put into
the pouch, and each one gets teat into
his mouth. At this time the opossum's
mouth is a little round hole, and after
the teat is in it enlarges at the end, so
that the little opossum cannot get off if
il tries. SO the little opossums live
comfortably, and by and by they are big
enough to come out of the pouch and
run about, and pick up beetles and bugs.
But when a dog or man comes, or the
mother wishes to move to another place,
they scramble into the pouch again, and
are carried in the easiest way you can
imagine.
1t saves the mother a great deal Of
trouble too. You know when pussy
wishes to change her nest she must take
each kitten by the neck and carry it
separately, making as many journeys as
there are kittens. But the opossum can
carry dozen children all at once.
So you see that while an opossum is
about as big as cat she takes care OF
the babies in very different way.
So much for opossums in general.
Now for what happened to one which
was sent to us this spring. She was
caught in a trap in Pennsylvania during
March, One of her legs was hurt, but
she did not seem to mind that much.
In fact, opossums rarely show signs of
pain, and are said to suffer themselves to
be beaten to death, or torn by dogs with
out crying out or trying to bite.
She was put in box with earth and
given plenty of food and water. After
a few days we veHtured to look into her
pouch, and there we found half n dozen
(seven, we think littlesopossums, about
two inches long. Each was attached
firmly to teat, and was swallowing the
milk and growing as fast as it could.
The mother did not seem to like MS TO
examine her children, and opened her
mouth very wide, but did not try 70 bite:
sT~ssvvks one OF the Titles ones out
and Killed it with chloroform and put il
in alcohol. Ten days afterward second
was taken, for we wished to know how
fast they grew. Three days later she
was taken out of the box to show the
little ones to some visitors; and then foi
the frst time we saw a little one free ir
the pouch. This was important, for We
also wished to know at what age they
we're freed from the teats, the mouth al
his time ceasing to be round hole anc
extending farther backward on each side
Then came the catastrophe. The mex
day we wished to see how many were
lett, and carefully opened the pouch
Not one. We looked in the box; they
were not there. The opossum was quiet
but we thought she had guilty look
She had eaten up her babies We eoulC
not blame her. Finding her pouch nj
security, she had put them into he
stomach. Cats sometimes eat their kit
tens when their beds are disturbed. w
once caught cat in the very act of bit
ing OH her kittens head, yet gently ant
even affectionately, as if she was sorry
but fet it was necessary.
We chloroformed theopossum, hopin
TO lind some pieces of the little ones i
her stomach. But she must have cate
them in the night, and they were who'll
digested.
That is the way our opossum took car
of her babies.-lN. y. Tribune.
That was conceit both poetic an
natural which lately found expression j
: the question of very young gentlema
, while viewing the beds of beautiful va
riegated violets around the old arsenel i
. Central Park: Papa, is that where th
} Butterflies grow2''