. Brehm's Life of animals : a complete natural history for popular home instruction and for the use of schools. Mammals; Animal behavior. 592 THE POUCHED ANIMALS. surrounded by rows of fine scales, between which protrude a few short, straggling hairs. The female has a perfect pouch. The Opossum is a native of America, from the northern United States to Chile and southern Brazil. In the central parts of this vast territory it is found in abundance, and that by no means to the pleasure of Man. It inhabits forests and bushes, and the denser the foliage the more the Opossum delights in its haunts.
. Brehm's Life of animals : a complete natural history for popular home instruction and for the use of schools. Mammals; Animal behavior. 592 THE POUCHED ANIMALS. surrounded by rows of fine scales, between which protrude a few short, straggling hairs. The female has a perfect pouch. The Opossum is a native of America, from the northern United States to Chile and southern Brazil. In the central parts of this vast territory it is found in abundance, and that by no means to the pleasure of Man. It inhabits forests and bushes, and the denser the foliage the more the Opossum delights in its haunts. Audubon's Ac- Andubon says: "Methinks I see one count of the at this moment slowly and cautiously Opossum. trudging over the melting snow, scenting as it goes for the fare its ravenous appetite prefers. Now it has come upon the fresh track of a Grouse or Hare and it raises its muzzle and sniffs the pure air. At length it has decided on its course, and it speeds onward at a rate equaling the speed of a Man's ordinary walk. It stops and seems at a loss in which direction to go, for the object of its pursuit has either taken a considerable leap or has and juicy stems it gladly feeds. The matin calls of the wild Turkey-cock delight the ear of the cunning creature, for it well knows that it will soon hear the answering cry of the female and thus be enabled to trace her to her nest, when it will suck the eggs with delight. Traveling through the woods, per- haps on the ground, perhaps aloft, from tree to tree, it hears a cock crow, and its heart swells as it re- members the toothsome food on which it regaled itself last summer in the neighboring farmyard. Thither then the hungry rogue bends its way, and if the opportunity is favorable, it sneaks into the chicken ; Life and Habits The Opossum is an arboreal animal, of the Opos- as is shown by its entire equipment, sum. ancj on the ground it is rather slow and awkward. Its mode of walking is plantigrade. All its movement
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectmammals, bookyear1895
