. Animate creation : popular edition of "Our living world" : a natural history. Zoology; Zoology. 392 THE OPOSSUM. generallj round inhabiting localities where ants most abound. For this kind of food it is well fitted by its long tongue, which is nearly as thick as a common black-lead pencil, and is capa- ble of protrusion to some distance. In confinement, a specimen of the Myrmecobius was accus- tomed to feed on bran, among other substances. It is known that in the wild state it will eat hay, as well as the "manna" that exudes from the branches of the eucalypti. It is a ver
. Animate creation : popular edition of "Our living world" : a natural history. Zoology; Zoology. 392 THE OPOSSUM. generallj round inhabiting localities where ants most abound. For this kind of food it is well fitted by its long tongue, which is nearly as thick as a common black-lead pencil, and is capa- ble of protrusion to some distance. In confinement, a specimen of the Myrmecobius was accus- tomed to feed on bran, among other substances. It is known that in the wild state it will eat hay, as well as the "manna" that exudes from the branches of the eucalypti. It is a very gentle animal in its disposition, as. when captured, it does not bite or scratch but only vents its displeasure in a series of little grants when it finds that it cannot escape. The number of its young varies, but averages from five to eight. The usual habitation of the Myrmecobius is placed in the decayed trunk of a fallen tree, or, in default of such lodging, is made in a hollow in the ground. It is a native of the borders of the Swan River. There are very few of the marsupiated animals which are more remarkable for their form, their habits, or their character, than the Opossums of America. They are nearly all admirable climbers, and are assisted in their scan- sorial efforts by their long, prehensile tails, which are covered with scales, <i-fi ;VC< j : through the interstices of which a few short black hairs protrude. The hinder feet are also well adapted for climbing, as the thumb is opposable to the other Iocs, so that the animal is able to grasp the branch of a tree with considerable force, and to suspend its whole body, together with the additional weight of its prey or its young. The Virginian, or Common' Opos- sim, is, as its name implies, a nati\e of Virginia, as well as of many other .portions of the United States of Amer- ica. In size it ecpials a tolerably large cat, being rather more than three feet in total length, the head and body measuring twenty-two i
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Keywords: ., bookauthorbr, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectzoology
