The National tribune., 1902-01-30
THE VIRGINIA OpOssUM.
What He Is and How He Lives-Remnant OF
once Import ant Race.

a once Importa ant Race.
| (By G. Hart Merriam, in Country Life.
| If the 'pOsSum fails to occupy 4 conspic
UOus place in the politics of the Southern
| States, the fact must be attributed to his
| humble origin and retiring disposition
For after all that has been said and don,
on the race question, does he not remain
the only true and lasting bond Of sym
pathy between the whites and blacks
| BE this as it may, he is well worthy OF
| consideration, and whether we study his
| habits, his ancestry, or his anatomy, We
are sure to find him an interesting beast
| Ills home is in the Southern States, bul
he pushes northward irregularly to south
| ern New York, southern Michigan. and
eastern Nebraska, and follows river val
leys westward to middle Kansas and
middle Texas.
He is quiet, inOffenSive, and rather
sluggish, and when attacked usually Suf
fers himself to be killed without outcry
and without show of resistance. In hab-
its he is silent and solitary; in disposition
melancholy and ticiturn-at least fe lacks
the buOyancy f.off-rspirit OF, the squirrels
and playfulness of the raccoon and mon
key. ,...s- ...
He is about the size of. woodchuck
OF a. very large cat, and when full grown
weighs 10 or II pounds. But in aappear-
ance and structure he is Very Hnlike either
the wOOdchuck, or the cat. having Il long.
flexible snOut, large, leaf Hike, naked ears.
handlike feet, and long, naked, scaly
prehensilc tail, .--ss.se--
Most mammals wear clothes the ele-
ments of which are so blended that close
scrutiny is necessary to separate their
parts. Not so with the 'pOsSum. His
garments, like those. of some. ladies IL
evening dress, are so delicately adjusted
that the inner shows through and forms
fitting Ian .-l. g,ranrlI tho his
woolly undercuat of buff, washed on the
surface with 81, black, contrasting hand
somely with the long white hairs by
which it is overlaid. His white face is
marked by dark rings around the eyes
and contrasts strongly with the dark body
color, which reaches forward to the top
of the head. The large naked ears are
black, tipped with white, and in life have
a pinkish tint. The only other conspicu-
Gus markings are the black feet and
ankles and the broad black band which
encircles the base of the tail.
That the opossum is q forest-loving an
imal goes without saying, his naked pre-
hensile tail and hand-like foot bespeak-
ing aboreal habits. The tail is great
aid in moving among the branches, for
by throwing the tip over limb the ami
NAL can swing off by it or remain sus-
pended like monkey. The foot also is
Il great help and worthy of close exam
ination; the big toe has no nail, but a fiat
pad that can be opposed to the other toes
in grasping ike our thumb and fingers,
and which when climbing takes a firm
hold of the branches. DR.. Bachman has
seen an opossum in persimmon tree
gathering and eating fruit while hanging
head down, suspended from branch by
the hind foot and tail-sometimes by the
tail alone.
Like the raccoOn the Opossum is noe
Il i
low logs or stumps, or III holes III the
larger limbs, or even in the dense foliage
of trees. His den is usually hidden
among roots, in hollow logs or trees
among rocks or in cliffs and caves, or,
more rarely, in holes in the ground like
that of the woodchuck and skunk Along
the coasts and rivers of the South he has
been known to forsake the forest and take
up his abode in the tall grass and reeds
of the marshes.
The OpOssum is the poor mans turkey
and his flesh is regularly sold i'll the pub
lie markets of Washington and other
Southern cities. 'Possum hunting is one
of the famous amuSements of the negroes,
and often of the whites as we'll The
usual season is the Fall of the year. when
the ground is strewn with acorns and
cheStnuts, the tender persimmon has rip
ened and lost its quicker. and the 'poSSum
himself is fat and in prime condition. The
hunting Is invtriabiy done ut night. The
necessary outfit consists of dogs. torches
and an ak. The dogs are often side
tracked by rabbits and cOons, whose fresh
scent they cannot resist: hence the hunt
is likely to furnish meat additional to that
which is the special object of the chase.
Returning from these digrcssions, the dogs
and hunters continue until the live trail
of a pOssum is found; this is eagerly
followed and the animal, slow runner.
is soon forced TO take to a tree The
barking of the ours and baying of the
hounds-if hounds there be in the motley
pack-soon bring the hunters to the spot.
and the bright blazing torches reveal the
position of the unlucky brute
If the tree is small it is promptly
climbed and the poor beast shaken off. to
fall into the gaping mouths of the mob
of dogs below; if too large to be- easily
climbed, it is feled by the ax and the
end is only slightly delayed In some
cases. however, the animal is secured
alive, brought home in bag. and fattened
on special food for Il week or two before
the dinner takes place. Three or more
are often captured in single night.
While lowly animal in structure and
aflinities. the pOSsum has considerable IN
teligence, and has learned to profit by the
experience of his ancestors
When seized by Il dog, or dubbed by
man. he almost invariably feigns death
and thereby often escapes-hencc the ex-
preston playing poSsun." The negroes