. The illustrated natural history [microform]. Mammals; Natural history; Mammifères; Sciences naturelles. lotlie the under THE OPOSSUM. 493 There are veiy few of the marsiipiiitecl animals wliich are more remarkable fur tiieir |'i)vni, llicir haliits, or their character, than the Opossums of America. They are nearly iill admirable climbers, and are assisted in their scansorial efftn'ts by their loncj, prehensile tails, which are covered with scales, thr(ni,i,di the interstices of which a few siioit black hairs jirotrude. The hinder feet are also well adapted for clinibinj^-, as the thumb is (i
. The illustrated natural history [microform]. Mammals; Natural history; Mammifères; Sciences naturelles. lotlie the under THE OPOSSUM. 493 There are veiy few of the marsiipiiitecl animals wliich are more remarkable fur tiieir |'i)vni, llicir haliits, or their character, than the Opossums of America. They are nearly iill admirable climbers, and are assisted in their scansorial efftn'ts by their loncj, prehensile tails, which are covered with scales, thr(ni,i,di the interstices of which a few siioit black hairs jirotrude. The hinder feet are also well adapted for clinibinj^-, as the thumb is (i]il)osablo_to the other toes, so that the animal is able to grasp the l)ranch of a tree with considerable force, and to suspend its wliole liddy t(jgether with the additional weight of its ]ircy or its young. the ViRciNiAN, or Common , is, as its name implies, a native of Virginia as well as of many other portions of the United States of Anicrica. In size it equals a tolerably large cat, licing rather more than three feet in total length, the head and body measuring twenty-two inches, and the tail fifteen. The colour of this animal is a gicyish-white, slightly tinged with yellow, and (liveisitied by occasional long hairs that are white towards tlieir base, but of a brownish hue towards tlieir ])oints. These brown-tijiped hairs are ex- tremely ])revah'nt upon the limbs, which are almost wiiully of the brown hue, which also surrounds the eye to some e.\tent. The under fur is com- ]iavatively soft and woolly, but the general character ui' the fur is and The scaly portion of the tail is white. It is a voracious and destructive animal, prowling about during tin; hours of darkness, and prying into every nook and corner in hope of tindirig something that may satisfy the cravings of im- perious hunger. Voung birds, eggs, the smaller (|Hailru])eds, such as young rabbits, which it eats by the Itrood at a time, cotton rats, and mice, reptiles of various kinds, and
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, booksubjectmammals, booksubjectnaturalhistory
