Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-25

shows stupidity In falling into human
| pitfalls and snares. Born and reared
among these creatures. and close stu
dent Of their habits through many years
/ insist that the naturalist In altogethe'
| wrong. Accustomed 10 sharing all man
ner OF birds and beasts, know that 'ns
| opossum Is the most wary, CRAFTY anc
| altogether most successful creature II
eyading the results of human inteihgenc'
| directed against 1t OF all animals OF ths
| American woods
SPIN HIM UP.
The opossum while roaming about upon
the ground moves slowly and awkwardiy,
but let the sharp cry Of dog be hearo
| upon its trail, and as though spurred py
an electrical shock. II moves FORWARD
! with great rapidly, though still In an I'M
calmly manner, taking advantage OF va
rious methods well known to itseif loi
breaking the continuity OF its scent. II
| will climb friendly alder and gan pushes
pass along them for few rods, mount
| tree mass from one TO another by means
| of interlapping branches. and descend
| again TO the ground. only TO make for
| ward and increase the distance between
j II and its pursuer When the yelps OF
| the dog may not be distanced II VIII
:. betake Itself to a tree, and IL the ooH
| be accompanied by its master, seeks, as
previously stated, the most secure retrea'
| obtainable. Unlike the coon. the opos-
sum rarely makes for Its home at such
| times.
Most people are wont 10 think or the
! opossum In its single attribute. that OF
| feigning death. and the common impress
sion prevails that this is its leading char
acteristic. appealed TO on all occasions
and its only mode of defending itself
This is rank injustice to the American
marsupial. 'Possuming is never resorted
to until all other ingenious devices fail
1 have seen opossums feign death again
and again. and feign II Sc completely that
the PSYCHOLOGISTS might be deceived by 1t.
Negroes may beat II. kick it, cuff IT,
knock IL about, throw il many feet in the
air and let II fall heavily to the ground
without effecting an apparent muscle
culver or moving of the chest. At such
time It is terribly in earnest. One may
poke it with a sharp knife. pierce It with
needles or pins. force open its long, cadav-
erous jaws TO breaking still will II give
forth no cutlery or offer any evidence of
life. Nothing can be more complete, ut
ter, and thorough than this stimulation
OF death i recall that upon one occasion
] fired off my six-shooter. one barrel after
another in quick succession. within an
inch of the ear Of a PROSTATE. death
feigning 'possum without exciting in 1t
n single impulse of life.
This, however. as ] have stated Is its
last court of appeal Sometimes the pos
sum recognizes the law Of force. although
il is naturally timid creature and
when it does 1t fights viciously and des-
perately. using its sharp little teeth with
directness of energy upon the flesh of its
assailants. One November night. in the
Indian Ridge section OF North Carolina.
my pack of dogs four in number. "treed"
possum in the hollow stump Of n mass
i've oak, and / was somewhat surprised
when I found 1t necessary to use CO.
ercive argument TO compel the CANNES
TO enter the cavity. Ordinarily, / should
have sought TO dislodge the 'possum by
means of pole or by digging, but. having
already captured as many as the negroes
OF the party could conveniently carry.
was Indifferent TO the fate of the occupant
of the stump. One by one the four dogs
were driven into the fairy quarters Of
the marsupial, and the four retired igno-
miniously, with bleeding wounds, the eff
feet being such enforced respect TOR the
little fellow as to cause me 10 draw off
all opposition and leave IL free without
further molestation. Several times. under
peculiar stress, / rave seen one Of the sc
creatures whip a single dog, but this is
the only instance in which 1t raised SUI
perior TO numbers.
HIS SPIRIT.
The opossum has somewhat Of the spirit
In its makeup. While capable of making
for itself very secure nest in a retreat
that Will escape the eye of the ordinary
Observer II has no scruple about appro-
priating that of the gray squirrel for
permanent use. One day while passing
through an oak forest in quest of SPUR
rels l fired barrel Of my shotgun into
a large nest. thinking. as 1t had FREE
quently happened before, to start-to
frighten-a mother squirrel and her half
grown young from their hiding-place. My
astonishment was great, when instead
there fell dead at my feet a very large and
reasonably formed 'possum. 1 could not
possibly be mistaken as to the builder of
the nest, because that of the squirrel
differs very materially from one con-
structed by the 'possum. Indeed, on two
other occasions / frightened the latter
creatures from nests that had been built
by the bushytailed rodent the suspicion
in one instance nearly approaching knoy-
ledge that the more recent occupant
had made meal of the original owner.
With equal indifference TO proprietary
rights the marsupial will first devour a
dam rabbit with her tiny offspring and
take complete possession of her burrow.
SO again, 1t will hang about the hollow
of coon until the latter for reasons
of policy or state vacates. when II Will
promptly claim exclusive ownership. and
offer an ugly set of teeth when the holder
of the fee returns 1t should be said.
however, that in the open the 'possum
has no show whatsoever with the coon,
III al 20 90 Z
and. indeed, crunch its bones without
great effort. The possum, as has been
his practice from the beginning. inter
poses strategy against brute force. The
raccoon affects hollow with a narrow
orifice. and once the 'possum has taken
possession the coon may not get beyond
the open wide mouth that is presented a
the doorway.
Monkeys and idiots are referred to by
many writers as possessing in remarBa-
BILE degree the faculty of grinning; yet
both Of these creatures would retire in
continently in an amazingly short time
from a contest with the marsupial.. To
grin like a 'possum is virtue sought
after by every fun-giving Senegambian
with a good row OF ivory, but his i'm
audience never aspires to successful RI
valry. The very long mouth Of the opos-
sum and the arrangement OF muscles
along the line OF the jaws enables II
not only to show every one or its many
teeth. but also to reveal the remotest
cavity OF It's deep-seated throat. When
"treed" and it's presence Is discovered
by the hunters the grinning operation is
promptly begun and does not end until
the poor fellow is cast upon the ground
by the pursuer. This grin is defiant
threatening. pitful. pleading. remon-
strative by turn and certainly in all
changes OF passion demonstrative Ac-
companying certain phases OF the grin
ming Is an unmistakable hiss. suggesting