und of
an animal, and touches it cautiously with a stick. Instantly it seems
to be struck with some mortal disease: its eyes close, it falls to the
ground, ceases to move, and appears to be dead. He turns it on its back,
and perceives on its stomach a strange, apparently artificial opening.
He puts his fingers into the extraordinary pocket, and lo, another brood
of a dozen or more young, scarcely larger than a pea, are hanging
in clusters on the teats. In pulling the creature about, in great
amazement, he suddenly receives a gripe on the hand; the twinkling of
the half-closed eye, and the breathing of the creature, evince that it
is not dead: and he adds a new term to the vocabulary of his language,
that of "playing possum."

... When the young are four weeks old, they begin from time to time to
relax their hold on the teats, and may now be seen with their heads
occasionally out of the pouch. A week later, and they venture to steal
occasionally from their snug retreat in the pouch, and are often seen on
the mother's back, securing themselves by entwining their tails around
hers. In this situation she moves from place to place in search of food,
carrying her whole family along with her, to which she is much attached,
and in whose defence she exhibits a considerable degree of courage,
growling at any intruder, and ready to use her teeth with great severity
on man or dog. In travelling, it is amusing to see this large family
moving about. Some of the young, nearly the size of rats, have their
tails entwined around the legs of the mother, and some around her
neck,--thus they are dragged along. They have a mild and innocent look,
and are sleek, and in fine condition, and this is the only age in which
the word pretty can be applied to the Opossum. At this period, the
mother in giving sustenance to so large a family, becomes thin, and is
reduced to one-half of her previous weight. The whole family of young
remain with her about two months, and continue in the vicinity till
autumn. In the meantime, a second, and often a third brood, is produced,
and thus two or more broods of different ages may be seen, sometimes
with the mother, and at other times not far off.

... Hunting the Opossum is a very favorite amusement among domestics and
field laborers on our Southern plantations, of lads broke loose from
school in the holidays, and even of gentlemen, who are sometimes more
fond of this sport than of the less profitable and more d