THE OPOSSUMS. 197 
Didelphis karkinophaga, Ziminermann, Geogr. Geschichte, vol. 
ii., p. 226 (1780). 
Didelphis carcinophaga, 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 virginiana, Tiedemann, Zool., p. 427 (1808). 
Didelphys aurita, Wied, Beitrag. Nat. Brasil, vol. ii, p. 395 
| (1826). 
Didelphy's breviceps, Rennett, Proc. Zool. Soc., 1833, p. 40. 
| Variety—Azara’s Opossum. 
Didelphys azare, Temminck, Monogr. Mamm., vol. i., p. 30 
(1827). 
Didelphys albiventris, Lund, Blik. Bras. Dyr. Dansk. Afh., vol. 
| Viil., p. 127 (1841). 
[Dideihys pectlotis, Wagner, Archiv. fiir Nat., vol. viii, p. 358 
i) (1842). 
\Didelphys Jeucotis, Wagner, Abhandl, Akad. Miinchen, vol. v., 
| 
| 
p. 127 (1847). 
| 
\ (Plate XX XT.) 
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 
pxtending uniformly over the body, and a longer upper-fur con- 
alsting of coarse e:ongated bristles, chiefly confined to the 
