FAUNA AMERICANA. 119 



Species. 



1. Didelphis virgmiana, Penn. Gmel. Manicou, 

 Bonnaterre, Opossum, of the Americans, Sarrigiie. 

 des IlUnois, Buff. Virginian opossum, Shaw, v. 1. 

 part 2. pi. 107, (Encycl. pi. 246. siippl. 7. fig. 1.) 

 Woapink, of some of the Indian nations. 



Char. Essent. Covering woolly, mixed with 

 black and white, traversed with white bristles; 

 ears black and white ; head nearly white. 



Dimensions. Total length, one foot two inches 

 nine lines ; of the tail, eleven inches ; of the head, 

 four inches ; of the ears, one inch. 



Description. Body rather thick; head very 

 pointed ; facial line straight ; nostrils separated by 

 a vertical groove ; covering composed of a mixture 

 of fur and wool, of a dirty white near the skin, 

 brown at the extremit}*, and traversed by hairs 

 longer and often white ; general teint more deep 

 upon the back ; head white ; around the eyes and 

 base of the ears brown, the latter being whitish 

 at their extremity; feet brown; belly white; tail 

 hairy one fourth its length, the remainder scaly 

 and whitish; thirteen mammse, twelve disposed 

 in a circle around a central one. 



Habit. Frequenting woods and fields ; visiting 

 the farm yards at night, committing depredations 

 on the poultry. 



The young at birth weighing only one grain, and 

 remaining in the maternal pouch until they have 



