The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1921-01-06

far removed, probably associated in a
casual way with the giant ground sloths,
the mastodons, the amazing flying lizards,
and the grotesque pachyderms, with
scientific names that nobody can pronounce.
All gone but the possum, the connecting
link between the present and the pasta
past so distant that it gives one the head
ache to think of it! Outside of his i'm
mediate family circle, there is no other
animal in all the world, that he can claim
kin with.
There is nothing attractive about pos
sum, as he is an ugly BEAST with no
traits of character to commend him. His
struggling, unkempt grizzly hairs, his
naked tail, his hand-like feet, his alligator
mouth whose black lips part in an eternal
grin, do not encourage US to love him. He
is stupid to degree, and the one CLEAN of
intelligence or originality that brightens
his otherwise drab existence is the habit,
if it is habit, of playing possum," or
making out that he is dead.
This idiosyncracy of his has ever been a
puzzle to naturalists and to the scientific
folks, who are forever trying to find out
the why and the wherefores of things.
When a possum goes into one of these
cut and dried frances he not only seems
to have quit living, but looks as if he
might have been dead for month. His
withered ears, weather-beaten appearance,
his tightly drawn lips showing the white
of teeth without number, his closed eyes
and rigid muscles, all help to carry out
the illusion.
Some writers think that this swooning
away in the presence of danger, is en-
tirely involuntary on his part. When
danger threatens, this curious creature, in
stead of taking to his bells, as any sensi-
BILE animal would do, makes no effort to
escape, but deliberately lies down, shuts
his eyes, and waits for things to happen,
and the thing that invariably happens is,
that he is caught!
Now, why does he do this? What ever
happened in his postum existence that
could lead him to think that an enemy
would consider him of no use, unless he
was taken in the very act of running
awayl Could any past experience teach
him that he ever escaped capture by any
such tactics? And if we say that he is
really feigning death, that would be to
SAY that he realizes what death is, while
we know that to man alone has been
vouch-safed this knowledge.
So it would seem that under present
conditions, with his present enemies to
contend with, he would never have fallen
into a habit that is such a menace to his
safety, and almost always results in his
undoing. 1t is believed that he must have
acquired the habit as safeguard against
some prehistoric enemy that has ceased
to exist, some enemy that demanded its
prey alive,warm and kicking, and passed
it by if it seemed to be lifeless.
But the possum has no such easily fooled
enemies now, the most unsophisticated
puppy fails to fall to Mis- trick, and
promptly grabs him by the throat. So it
is but reasonable to suppose that his faint
ing spells became habit before man and
his friend the hound came on the scene,
and that he has not had the wit to break
away.
Whatever may be the true explanation,
it is safe to conclude that the act is in
voluntary on the part of the possum, as
his brain is too primitive to have eve j.
worked out scheme so complicated and
cunning. There are two things we might
do we'll to remember when we see a pos
sum. One is, that he is not trying to
deceive when he curls up and poses as
corpse; and the other is, that he is en-
titled to some consideration and certain
Difference, for having outlived other forms