THE YAPOCK OPOSSUM. 499 
the British Museum, where the peculiar attitude of mother and young is wonderfully 
preserved, when the very minute dimensions of the young Opossums are taken into 
consideration. 
Many other species of Opossums are in the habit of carrying their young upon their 
backs, even though they may be furnished with a well developed pouch, but in the pouch- 
less Opossums the young are placed on the back at a very early age, and are retained 
there for a considerable period. : 
It is a very small animal, measuring when adult only six inches from the nose to the 
root of the tail, the tail itself being more than seven inches in length, thus exe eeding 
the united measurement of the head an pees. Its general appearance is much like that 
of a very large mouse, or a very small r 
The fur of Merian’s Opossum is a short, and les closely upon the skin. On the 
upper portions of the body its colour is a pale greyish-brown, fading below into a yellowish- 
white. Round the eyes is a deep brown mark, which extends forwards in front of each 
eye, and forms a small dark patch. The forehead, the upper part of the head, the cheeks, 
together with the limbs and feet, are of a yellowish-white, tending to grey. 
Towards the base, the tail is clothed with hair of the same texture and colour as that 
of the upper part of the body, but towards its extremity it becomes white. The habits of 
Merian’s Opossum are similar to those of the Virginian and Crab- eating Opossums. Its 
native country is Surinam, 
YAPOCK OPOSSUM.—Cheironectes Yapock. 
Last, and most singular of this group of animals, is the Yapock Opossum, a creature 
which, abandoning the arboreal life in which its relations so much delight, shifts its 
residence to the river-banks, and passes an existence almost wholly aquatic. 
It is a curious looking animal, and even by the bold markings with which its fur is 
diversified is easily distinguishable from any other eee Veen the coat of this 
animal, the two contrasting hues of grey and sooty-black are so nearly balanced that it is 
almost impossible to choose either of them as the ground tint and the other as the accessory. 
We will, however, consider the lighter hue to form the eround tinting of the fur, and 
describe the animal accordingly. 
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