king for a tree with moss upon it,
that we could climb. At length, almost close to the foot of the cliff,
we chanced upon a very large live-oak, with low branches, from which the
long, silvery moss was hanging down in streamers, like the tails of
horses. We soon stripped off what was on the lower branches; and then,
climbing up on these, proceeded to rob the others, that were higher, of
their long stringy parasites.

"While thus engaged, our attention was attracted to the chirping and
chattering of some birds in a thicket of pawpaws close to our tree. We
looked in that direction, and we could see down into the thicket very
plainly from where we stood among the branches. We saw that the birds
making the noise were a pair of orioles, or `Baltimore birds,' as they
are often called, from the fact that, in the early settlements, their
colour--a mixture of black and orange--was observed to be the same as
that in the coat-of-arms of Lord Baltimore. Frank and I conjectured
that they must have a nest among the pawpaws, for they had scolded us as
we were passing through but a moment before. But what were they
scolding at now? asked we of one another--for the birds were fluttering
among the broad green leaves, uttering their shrill screams, and
evidently under great excitement. We left off gathering our moss, and
stood for a moment to see what it was all about.

"Presently we noticed a strange-looking object in motion along the
ground, and close in to the edge of the thicket. At first sight we knew
not what to make of it. Was it an animal? No--it could not be that.
It had not the shape of any animal we had ever seen: and yet we could
see legs and tails, and ears and eyes, and heads--heads, indeed!--there
seemed to be a head sticking out of every part of its body, for we
counted half a score of them as it moved along. It moved very slowly,
and when nearly opposite to us it stopped, so that we had a good view of
it. All at once the numerous heads seemed to separate from the main
body, becoming little bodies of themselves with long tails upon them,
and looking just like a squad of white rats! The large body to which
they had all been attached we now saw was an old female opossum, and
evidently the mother of the whole troop. She was about the size of a
cat, and covered with woolly hair of a light grey colour. She had a
snout somewhat resembling that of a pig, though much sharper at the
point, and with whiskers like a c