Their method of hunting their prey is interesting. An Opossum is seen slowly and cautiously trudging along over the melting snow, by the side of an unfrequented pond, nosing as it goes for the fare its ravenous appetite prefers. Now it has come upon the fresh track of a Grouse or Hare, and it raises its snout and snuffs the keen air. It stops and seems at a loss in what direction to go, for the object of its pursuit has taken a considerable leap or has cut backwards, before the Opossum entered its track. It raises itself up, stands for a while on its hind-feet, looks around, sniffs the air, and then proceeds. But now at the foot of a noble tree, it comes to a full stand. It walks round the base of the large trunk, over the snow-covered roots, and among them finds an aperture, which it at once enters. Several minutes elapse, when it re-appears, dragging along a Squirrel, already deprived of life; with this in its mouth it begins to ascend the tree. Slowly it climbs; the first fork does not seem to suit it, for perhaps it thinks that it might be there too openly exposed to the view of some wily foe, and so it proceeds, until it gains a cluster of branches intertwined with grape-vines; and there composing itself, it twists its tail round one of the twigs, and with its sharp teeth demolishes the unlucky Squirrel, which it holds all the while in its fore-paws. PACHYDERMATA—THICK-SKINNED QUADRUPEDS. ALL the animals of this great order are classified under the name Pachydermata, which is derived from two Greek words meaning thick-skinned. In nearly all of them the toes are rendered motionless by a horny covering which surrounds them, called a hoof, which blunts them to the sense of touch; and the form of this hoof helps to divide the order into families. There are three divisions in the Pachydermata—the Elephant family, known as the Proboscidae (from the Latin word proboscis, meaning a trunk); the family of ordinary Pachydermata, including the Hippopotamus, Rhinoceros, Hyrax, Tapir, Wild Boar, Phacocheres and Peccari; and the family of Solipedes, the name of which is derived from the Latin words solus, alone, and pes, pedis, a foot, and includes the animals with undivided hoofs, like the Horse, the Donkey, Hemionus, Daw, Zebra and Quagga. THE ELEPHANT FAMILY. [Illustration: ELEPHANT.] The Elephants are the largest animals that live on the earth, as the Whales are the largest that live in the water. And it is said that if size and strength conferred the right of dominion, these two creatures would be able to divide between them the empire of the world.