The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-12-20
THE SLY NOCTURNAL oPossUM,

 Ways of a Curious Animal Described. | The American opossum, representing the genus dldelphys, is one of the most
 curious animals in the United States. It is the only one carrying it's young in a pouch or marsupium, like a kangaroo. It is the only animal which can feign death perfectly in order to escape it's enemies, and the expression playing 'possum" is a well known phrase. IL is also remarkable in that it hangs by it's tail like a monkey. It's hands re- semble those of a human being. It is most liberally provided with teeth, and has snout like that of a hog, eyes like those of rat, and misses like snake.
 Edward Decker, an agriculturalist re- siding near Columbus, O., caught fe- male opossum last spring, and discov- cred that his captive had in her pouch an interesting little family of F little ones. His dog had been Investigating a rail pile. and suddenly raised a tre mendous outcry. MT. Decker found the dog worrying the old opossum and de- livered her from the jaws of death, but not until she had been severely bitten. He dressed her wounds took good care of her and succeeded in raising to ma turity every one of the F young ones.
 When first discovered the baby opos- sums were about two inches long, hair less and sightless. The dozen grew slow ly a first, their progress being retarded by the injured condition of the mother. It was several weeks before the boldest of them, having had it's eyes unsealed, timidly poked his white snout through the opening of the pouch and recon noitered. By and by he ventured to crawl outside and hung by the long fur of the mother Soon another and an other followed the leader on tour of inspection. After that the 12 came out daily, but were exceedingly timid, scuttling back into the pouch al the slightest noise or the approach of any person One of the 12 managed to es- cape from the old corncrib where they were confined, and was gone for 10 days. Upon his return he was immediately set upon by his brothers and sisters as renegade, and had his large, fan-like ears bitten off close to his head.
 The method of feeding the mother
 
 con- and later a fowl from the barn yard The young opossums used to have fierce fights over their nocturnal meals, and in one of these wrangles one of their number lost her ear, after the style of punishment visited on the rene gade This seemed to be the vulnerable point of attack in 'posum fight.
 When they had attained the size of rats the young bore a remarkable re- semblance to these rodents, and when all climbed upon their mother, clinging to her hair, neck and legs, she staggered under the load. No other mother among the animals of North American bears such a burden. and her patience and tranquility under her manifold cares were edmira ble The photographer who succeeded in taking the half dozen fine jews of mother and family has given an insight into the domestic ar of the oppossum family such as the world has never had; for the opposum, although far from un- common in the United States seems to be little understood. Owing to the noc- turnal habits, comparatively few people have ever seen & female with her young The writer obtained from MT. Decker four of the young oppossums when they were about one-fourth grown, and he made close study of their habits.
 The oppossum is known to naturalists as being one of the most innocent and harmless of animals. In it's wild state, when attacked by man or dog, it im falls over as if dead, and no amount of beating or physical torture can make it cease playing 'possum." There is only one way in which the ami mal can be made to resume the sem blance of life, and that is by throwing it into water A cold bath will instant ly cause it to cease feigning death and swim for life.
 In it's habits this queer animal is a veritabe sloth The two things it likes best to do are to eat and sleep. It eats with great gusto and carnivorous and omnivorous appetite. So eager were they to snap up big beetle that ones fingers were in danger of being mas ticated along with the shelled tidbit. A half f-grown frog tied with a string and dropped under their noses precipitated a vicious fight for possession. The con-
 
 teStantS for the eplcurean molsei | erowled and snarled like so many dogs, and chewed each others noses and ears in reckless disregard of sensitive feel ngs and proprietary rights. The chaps whose noses were bitten hissed loudly, after the aspirate fashion of their kind. |
 The four animals constituted two pairs. Three were gray, while one fe- male was very dark She was designat- ed as 'Blackie' and thrived amazingly, | soon becoming larger than any two of | the others. She was gentle but eX .remely sensitive and retiring. One day | ] collar and chain was put on her and | she was taken for an outing in the | fields. Blackie became possessed of | frantic desire to part company with her