﻿THE OPOSSUMS. 211 



if SO, the former will agree with the other members of the sub- 

 genus in being devoid of a pouch. 



X. SHINING OPOSSUM. DIDELPHYS LEPIDA. 



Didelphys {Micoureus) leptda, Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., 

 ser. 6, vol. i., p. 158, and Cat. Marsup. Brit. Mus., p. 347 

 (188S). 



Characters. — Size very small ; fur soft, close, and straight. 

 General colour full rich rufous, of a much deeper tone than in 

 any of the allied species ; under-parts dirty white, with a faint 

 tinge of rufous. 



The species may be readily distinguished from D. murina 

 by its smaller and shorter ears, from the undermentioned 

 D. pusilla by the presence of projections at the anterior margin 

 of the ears, and by ledges on the skull above the sockets of the 

 eyes ; while it differs from both in its more brilliant coloration 

 and the smaller number of teats (seven). 



Distribution. — Amazonia, from the Peruvian Andes, to 

 Guiana. 



XI. PIGMY OPOSSUM. DIDELPHYS PUSILLA. 



Didelphys pusilla^ Uesmarest, Nouv. Diet. d'Hist Nat., vol. 



xxiv., Table, p. 19(1804); Thomas, Cat. Marsup. Brit. 



Mus., p. 348 (1888). 

 Didelphys 7tana^ Illiger, Abhandl. Akad. Berlin, 18 11, p. 107 



(1815). 

 Didelphys {GryjncBomys) agiliSy Burmeister, Thiere Brasil., vol. 



i., p. 139 (1854). 

 Micoureus pusillus^ Gervais, in Castelnau's Voy. Amer. Sud. 



Mamm., p. 103 (1855). 



Characters. — Size nearly as in the last ; fur soft, thick, and 

 straight ; naked portion of muzzle with two distinct notches on 

 €ach Side of its lower border. General colour bright rufous, 



P 2 



