RECENTr.Y KILLED IN THE COUNTY OF DURHAM. 181 



fore, with several other men, went in pursuit of it, and at length 

 succeeded in killing it, though not "up a gum-tree," but up a 

 " poplar-tree," wdiere it had made a nest with straw. 



I may here add that the Common Opossum (Didelphis Virgini- 

 ana) is known to attack poultry and to devour birds' eggs. So 

 then, had the Redmarshall farmer imagined that the strange wild 

 beast he saw to be an Opossum^ he would have had very good 

 grounds for fearing the destruction of his poultry. 



I w^ill now briefly give a description of it. The length, from 

 the tip of the nose to the base of the tail, 18| inches; the length 

 of the tail about 13 inches, and the entire length, 31| inches. 



The dentition I found as follows: — Two large front teeth or 

 incisors in the lower jaw, somewhat curved inwards, and like 

 those of rabbits and squirrels. Six incisors in the upper jaw, 

 then two small canines — the first apart from the second, and also 

 larger than the second ; and four or five molars. The first of the 

 molars in each jaw is somewhat compressed and of a cone shape; 

 but the exact number of the latter I could not determine as the 

 animal was stiff, having been so recently killed, and I did not 

 like to force open the jaws. 



In the lower jaw are no canine teeth; but near the base of each 

 of the two long incisors, there appears the rudiment of a canine 

 tooth ; also the same number of molars — most likely five. If so, 

 the dental formula of the upper jaw would be = 6 inc. -j- 4 

 can. -|- 10 mo. = 20 in all; and that of the lower jaw = 2 inc. 

 -f- can. -}- 10 mo. = 12 in all; and these altogether make 

 thirty- two teeth. 



Legs rather short. Front foot with five long toes, and five 

 curved, sharp, and compressed claws; of these toes, the two cen- 

 tral are the longest. But the hind foot has only two large toes, 

 and two claws ; and also, on the inside, a third toe, divided into 

 two as far as the last phalanx^ or at least the two are united by 

 the skin up to that 2-)halanx, and they have both long, sharp and 

 compressed claws. Then beyond, again, on the inside, and placed 

 more backward, is a large and broad thumb, though without any 

 claw or distinct nail. The feet, of a brownish -yellow, havingmuch 

 the character of hands, are evidently those of a climbing animal ; 



