OIDELPHYS AZAR&. 83 



AZARA'S OPOSSUM. 



Didelphys Azarce. 



PLATE I. 



Didelphys Azarae, Temminck Mongr. Microurtf premier, Azara^ 

 Essais sur P histoire Naturelle des Quadrupeds de la Pro- 

 vince de Paraguay. French Transl., vol i., p. 244. 



Description. Length of head and body taken 

 together, 19 inches; of tail, 19 inches; of head, 

 from tip of muzzle to base of ear, 4 inches 3 lines ; 

 of fore foot, 1 inch 1 1 lines ; of tarsus, 2 inches 6 

 lines. Head and neck white ; a black stripe on the 

 forehead commences between the eyes, and runs back- 

 wards on to the occiput, where it is dilated and forms 

 a large patch ; on either side of the head is another 

 black stripe, which commences considerably in front 

 of the eye, and, encircling the eye, extends back- 

 wards nearly to the ear ; throat and chest yellowish, 

 sometimes rusty brown : the hairs of the ordinary 

 fur of the body are of a yellowish-white colour at 

 the base, and black externally ; on the back the 

 black colour prevails, and the sides of the body have 

 a mottled appearance, the black and pale coiour 

 being about equal in proportion ; the limbs and feet 

 are black; the long interspersed hairs, which are 

 abundant on the back and sides of the body, are 

 white ; about one third of the tail is covered with 

 fur like that of the body, beyond this the tail is fur- 

 nished with scales, which are partially hidden by 



