﻿THE OPOSSUMS. 20I 



divided. Tail hairy for the first two or three inches at the 

 base, then changing somewhat suddenly to scaly, and the tip 

 gradually becoming white. Length of head and body about 

 lo^ inches ; of tail slightly less. 



Distril)ution — Mexico to the Argentina. 



Habits. — This a-nimal, which is somewhat larger than a com- 

 mon Squirrel, is very common in many parts of Brazil, where 

 it is known as the Qnica. Feeding upon small birds, insects, 

 and fruits, it passes its time, like the others of its kin, in sleep- 

 ing, rolled up like a ball, during the day, and sallies forth to 

 feed at night. The full development of the pouch indicates 

 that the young have habits similar to those of the common 

 species. By the French, the species is termed Le Didelphe 

 qiiatre-oeiL the conspicuous white spots on the forehead giving, 

 at a distance, the appearance of a second pair of eyes. 



III. RAT-TAILED OPOSSUM. DIDELPHYS NUDICAUDATA. 



Didelpliys nudicaudata^ Geoffr., Cat. Mus., p. 142 (1803) ; 



Thomas, Cat. Marsup. Brit. Mus., p. 332 (1888). 

 Didelphys myosnrus^ Temminck, Monogr. Mamm., vol. i., p. 38 



(1827). 



Metachirus myosurus, Burmeister, Erlaut. Faun. Brasil., p. 69 



(1856). 



[Plate XXXIII.) 



Characters. — Size scarcely equal to that of the last, but the 

 form more slender, and the limbs and tail relatively much 

 longer ; fur, very short, straight and crisp. General colour 

 greyish-brown, more or less tinged, especially on the flanks, 

 with yellowish or rufous ; under-parts yellowish-white, sharply 

 defined from the dark area above by a more or less well-marked 

 yellow line; face brown or rufous-brown, darker round the eyes, 

 and having a prominent white or pale yellow spot above each 

 of the latter, which is, however, much smaller than in the pre- 



