the topmost twigs of the tree.  After a little consideration she uttered a sharp note, which brought the little ones about her in a twinkling.  ’Several of them ran into the pouch which she had caused to open for them; two of them took a turn of their little tails around the root of hers, and climbed up on her rump, almost burying themselves in her long wool; while two or three others fastened themselves about her neck and shoulders.  It was a most singular sight to see the little creatures holding on with “tails, teeth, and toe-nails,” while some peeped comically out of the great breast-pocket.’  Burdened in this way, she climbed the tree, and then taking hold of the young ’possums, one by one, with her mouth, she made them twist their tails round a branch, and hang with their heads downwards.  ’Five or six of the “kittens” were still upon the ground.  For these she returned, and taking them up as before, again climbed the tree.  She disposed of the second load precisely as she had done the others, until the thirteen little possums hung head downwards along the branch like a string of candles!’

The mother now climbed higher up; but the nest, with its tempting eggs, hung beyond her reach; and although she suspended herself by the tail—­at last almost by its very tip—­and swung like a pendulum, clutching as she swung, it was all in vain.  At length, with a bitter snarl, she gave up the adventure as hopeless, detached the young ones from their hold, flung them testily to the ground, and descending, took them all into her pouch and upon her back, and trudged away.  ’Frank and I now deemed it proper to interfere, and cut off the retreat of the old ’possum:  so, dropping from our perch, we soon overtook and captured the whole family.  The old one, on first seeing us approach, rolled herself into a round clump, so that neither her head nor legs could be seen, and in this attitude feigned to be quite dead.  Several of the youngsters who were outside, immediately detached themselves, and imitated the example of their mother—­so that the family now presented the appearance of a large ball of whitish wool, with several smaller “clews” lying around it!’ The family Crusoes, however, were not to be cheated:  they took the whole prisoners, intending to carry them home; and making the mother fast to one of the saplings, returned to their tree.

Soon the persecuted orioles began to scream and scold as before.  Their enemy this time was a huge moccason, one of the most venomous of serpents.  ’It was one of the largest of its species; and its great flat head, protruding sockets, and sparkling eyes, added to the hideousness of its appearance.  Every now and then, as it advanced, it threw out its forked tongue, which, moist with poisonous saliva, flashed under the sunbeam like jets of fire.  It was crawling directly for the tree on which hung the nest.’  The birds seemed to think he meant to climb to their nest, and descended in rage and terror to the lower