Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-08-18
THE OPOSsUM.


sum of fancy are not the same crea-
lures. What I learn of it from the
farmer and what the naturalists tell
me are not wholly in accordance.
There is common ground upon
which farmer and zoologist stand, and
that is, when the animal in question
makes its appearance, both assert that
it is an opossum and that it feigns
death when frightened. The farmer
sees it as common 'svarmint" that,
of course, ought to be killed and can
be eaten if your taste inclines that
way; and the scientific man asserts
learnedly that it is our only marsupial,
is omnivorous, largely nocturnal, in
dolent and not particularly intel
igent.
All things considered, the scientific
view is the more nearly correct, and
the average farmer has a good deal
to learn about the animal. This, how
ever, does not hold good of all our
common animals. The practical
knowledge Of those who see wild an
finals at home is usually worth more
than the theoretical views of these
same wild animals entertained by
students of skeletons and distorted
skins.
The opossum is one of our few
fur-bearing animals that is of little
value; and although we see a good
many Of them in the markets, with
rabbits and squirrels, they are not in
general demand, and the skill of the
chef has yet to prove equal to making
it popular. As the animal is omnivor-
Gus and yet avoids what we term Of
fensive matter as food, as carbon or
decayed vegetation, there seems to be
no good reason why opossum meat
should not be delicacy, but it GER
tainly is not.
/ speak from my own observations,
and am aware that the. animal is said
to be ascavenger, andliveinsewers, but
this refers to the town-dwelling ia
dividual, and not to its healthy, nor
NAL country cousin with which we
have to do; but it does not follow
that scavenger must nee essarily revel
in rottenness. I have kept many of
these animals for weeks at time and
found them dainty feeders and dis
posed to fast indefinitely when only
putrid meat or decayed vegetables
were offered. Starvation leads to
strange acts, whether among men or
opossums, but [ think it safe to say,
what we consider unfit to eat is not
preferred by an opossu1n to fresh
food
[ have said that this animal is stu
pid, but certain features Of its habits
contradict the assertion It enters
large towns and outwits the dogs as
readily as any rat can do, and without
vision necessitating nocturnal habits,
it is SO far feature of the night-side
of nature that we need not look for it
proving about in the sunshine. It
has learned to fit itself to conditions
widely varying from those of its re-
mote ancestry. It's dependence now
is upon the sense of hearing and Of
smell to a far greater extent than
formerly, although its sense of sight
is excellent; but when We compare an
opossum with some one of the species
of weasles or with the raccoon or
grounding, we will fn<1 that it ex-
hibits nothing to compare with these
animals vivacity and me- ntal activity.
There is lack-luster look in the eyes
of an opossum that suge ests stupid
ity, and the animal being marsupial,
it is what We should lool1 for, COM
pared with placental mammals.
The pouch of the female opossum
has given rise to any number of odd
eonceits among the unobse1vant, and
the climax of absurdity IS reached
in the assertion that the female
creeps into its pouch in win
ter, just as jumping mouse
lies inside its snuggeTy of In
terwoven grass. 1t has bean sug-
gested, too, that it is a receptacle for
surplus food. Such ideas can only
have arisen from inattention and the
fact that the female opossums with
young In the marsupiun are not fire.
quently seen.
To catch an opossum unawares, and
have a chance to observe it, without
the animal suspecting your presence,
is an incident that well repays the
patient rambler. An opossum at
such time will tell you more about
itself than any number of books can
tell. Its gait, its curiosity, its suspi-
cion, every phase of mental impress
sion, is likely to be exhibited In quick
succession, and to describe them IN