The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-07-11
YOUNG oPossUsrs.

The Virginia representative is the sole North American representative of that primitive group of animals, the marsupial, whose young are born at so crazy stage of development. and in so helpless condition, that the mother is obliged to carry them about with her in a sort of pocket for considerable. period. Comparatively few people have ever seen newiy-born opossums, and indeed few would know what they were looking at if they did see them. so different are they from most young ami mals. The young of an opossum twenty-seyen inches long are scarcely as large. as those of a mouse less than seven inches long; they are merely soft little jelly-like creatures, which, as soon as they are born, are dropped or licked ny their mother into pouch or pocket in her abdomen. Here each of the babies attaches itself to a nipple, of which 1t appears to be simply an en- largenent. It's mouth, which Is com paratiyely large at first, presently con tracts about the teat and there the un- developed youngster sticks for some weeks without once letting go hls hold while his mother. gently pumps milk into him. In the meantime the mother wanders about the woods from dawn until dusk, devouring great variety of food, including wild fruits, insects, birds eggs, young birds and small mammals; in fact, there are few kinds Of food which are not her ''huckle- berry as the boys say. That is one CT the reasons why an opossum is so hardy why it can live and thrive in a cold climate where most animals which come from the same warm regions would perish. Last summer I liberated Virginia oppossum in Massachusetts, adn was assured that it you'd surely die soon after the winter set in. I did not agree with this opinion. and the other day had the satisfaction of hearing that an opossum had just been captured within half a mile of where had lib- erated mine. I sent over at once. and
 the captive proved to be my old friend who had not only survived the winter, but was in good condition in every way.
 The oppossum Is one of the most pro life of mammals. having perhaps three filters of young each year, with from six to sixteen ones in each filters. when they are about the size of small rats they come out of the pouch and then, to to get exercise and fresh air, and crawl back again when they get tired or are threatened with danger. t.
 Iris spring I had under observation an ooossum with a number of young ones which had just reached this stage in their development. As the mother walked about, no one could tell that she had any young ones with her; they were all hidden completely in the pouch. By and by, however, as the lit- tie fellows grew. the pouch would not quite cover them, and their tails might be seen hanging out when the mother was lifted up by her tail. When they came out for an airing, they held on to their mothers long fur very cautiously, using not only their four hand-like paws but their prehensile tails as we'll. If tried to remove one of them, it was very interesting to see how long sturdily he resisted the effort. Holding a tuft of long gray hair in each pink fist, he would pull forward with all his might, at the same time grasping another tuft in his mouth. If let go his tail, he quickly twisted that around another bunch of hair, and it would have re- quired hard tug to pull him from the back of his parent. I never saw her assist her young ones in any way, and if by accidents one of them lost his grip
 
 him up as squirrel or mouse would have done, or even went to his assist ance. Neither did I ever see the little ones twine their tails about the tail of their mother, as they are said to do, though they may have done so at times when I was not present. They were quite fearless at first, but one morning, when they had reached the size of full grown rats, fear came to them. When put out my hand as usual, they opened their mouths and displayed their teeth, meanwhile emitting curious vi- bratory growls, which reminded me somewhat of the cries of young fiickers in hollow tree. As rule they did not attempt to bite, now and then, if one of them got very good opportunity, he would seize one of my fingers and give it nip. The mother was just the same in this respect; She frequently growled, showed her teeth and assumed the most ferocious attitudes, but seldom attempt ed to bite, except when an unusally good opportunity offered.
 On one occasion, however, when one of my little foxes, prompted by curiosity and perhaps by more serious motive, put his nose too close to baby 'possum, he was greeted with growl and a nip which caused him to draw back and consider the matter, giving the object of his attentions a chance to escape.
 The ability of the little opossums to hang by their tails had chance to observe on many occasions; they could cling to finger or a twig, by their tails alone. for many seconds, and by their hind feet, assisted by their tails, for several minutes. Once allowed a youngster to twine his tail around