﻿2l6 /.LLEN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY. 



Schreber for the next member of the genus, may l^e charac- 

 terised as follows : — 



Size large; fur short, coarse, and harsh. General colour 

 pale grizzled grey on the crown of the head and middle of tht 

 back, and rich orange yellow on the flanks and under-parts ; 

 legs yellow : feet greyer. Muzzle long and slender, with the 

 naked portion extending backwards as a short prolongation in 

 the middle line. Ears rounded and very short, with the ante- 

 rior basal projection well-developed. A gland on the chest in 

 the male. Skin of soles of feet rough and coarse ; pads of 

 hind feet only five in number, and not so well-defined as in 

 the other members of the group. Tail about half the length of 

 the head and body, thick, regularly tapering, and clothed with 

 numerous short fine hairs ; in colour brown above, and 

 yellowish beneath. Length of head and body m a large male 

 about 6 inches ; of tail 3-I- inches. 



Distribution. — South Brazil and Uruguay. 



XVI. RED-FLANKED OPOSSUM. DIDELPHYS BREVICAUDATA. 



Didelphys brevicaudata, Erxleben, Syst. Regn. Anim., p. 80 



(1777) ; Thomas, Cat. Marsup. Brit. Mus., p. 356 (1888). 



Didelphys brachyura^ Schreber, Saugethiere, vol. iii., p. 548 



(1778). 

 Didelphys tticolor, Geoffr., Cat. Mus., p. 144 (1803). 

 Didelphys himteri, Waterhouse, Jardine's Naturalist's Library, 



Mamm., vol. xi., p. no (1841). 

 Feramys tricolor, et P. brachyurus, Lesson, Nouv. Tabl. Regne 



Animal, Mamm., p. 186 (1842). 

 Didelphys glirina,V^2^g\-\Qx, Xxq\\\m, fiir Nat., vol. viii., p. 359 



(1842). 



Characters — May be distinguished from the preceding by 

 the large ears and the red colour of the flanks ; the number of 

 teats (unknown in the yellow-flanked species) being either five 



