﻿THE OPOSSUMS. 197 



Didelphis karkinophnga, Zimmerman n, Geogr. Geschichte, vol. 



ii., p. 226 (1780). 

 Didelphis car cinophaga^ Boddaert, Elenchus^Anim., vol. i., p. 77 



(1785). 

 Didelphys cancrivora^ Gmelin, Syst. Nat., vol. i., p. 108 (1789). 

 Didelphys virginiana^ Kerr, Linn., Anim. Kingd., p. 193 



(1792). 

 Philander virginia?ta, Tiedemann, Zool., p. 427 (1808). 

 Didelphys aiirita, Wied, Beitrag. Nat. Brasil, vol. ii., p. 395 



(1826). 

 Didelphys breviceps, Rennett, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1833, p. 40. 



Variety — Azara^s Opossum. 

 Didelphys azarce^ Temminck, IMonogr. Mamm., vol. i., p. 30 



(1827). 

 Didelphys aldiveiitris, Lund, Blik. Bras. Dyr. Dansk. Afh., vol. 



viii,, p. 127 (1841). 

 Didelphys pacilotis, Wagner, Archiv. fiir Nat., vol. viii., p. 358 



(1842). 

 Didelphys leucotis, Wagner, Abhandl, x\kad. Miinchen, vol. v., 



p. 127 (1847). 



{Plate XXXII.) 



Characters. — This species, with its varieties, alone represents 

 the typical group of the genus, which may be characterised as 

 follows : Tail very long, scaly, naked, and markedly prehensile ; 

 size large ; fur with long bristle-like hairs intermixed ; fifth 

 hind toe much shorter than the second, third, and fourth, which 

 are of nearly equal length. 



As distinctive characters of the typical variety, the following 

 may be given : — 



Size from three to five times that of any other Opossum ; fur 

 long, coarse, and thick, composed of a short, soft under-fur 

 extending uniformly over the body, and a longer upper-fur con- 

 sisting of coarse elongated bristles, chiefly confined to the 



