CHAPTER XIII.

PLATE XXIV. THE OPOSSUM.

FIG. 1. The American opossum ; (didelphis marsupialis virginiana.) The body of the animal is of a grayish yellow color, some hairs entirely black, with others entirely white; the tail furnished with scales; the hands, nose, and ears naked. The female has the whole length of the belly cleft or slit, and appears like a person's waistcoat buttoned only at the top and bottom. This cavity the animal has the power of firmly closing. Within are thirteen teats, extremely small, one in the centre, and the rest ranged round it.

FIG. 2. One of the young of the opossum.

FIG. 3. The pelvis of the opossum; a, a, the two bones (ossa marsupialia) placed on the anterior part called the ossa pubis. The kangaroo and several other animals of New Holland have a similar structure.

CHAPTER XIII.

PLATE XXV.-CLAW OF THE HERON, AND bill of the sOLAND

GOOSE.

Fig. 1. The middle claw of the heron.

FIG. 2. The head of the Soland goose, (pelicanus hassanus) drawn from a specimen in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. This bird inhabits the coldest parts of Great Britain, more especially the northern isles of Scotland. The inhabitants of St. Kilda make it their principal article of food, and are said to consume annually near 30,000 young birds, beside an amazing quantity of eggs.