DIDELPHYS CANCRIVORA. 85 



Length of head and body, 1 7 inches ; length of 

 tail, 13 inches, of which about 4 inches (at the 

 base) is covered with fur, like that of the body; 

 this is followed by a portion, 3 inches hi length, 

 which is covered by black scales, and furnished with 

 black hairs, the remaining, or apical portion, has 

 white scales and white hairs. 



The Didelphys Azarce is common in Brazil, and is 

 found as far south as Maldonado, La Plata. Azara 

 states that it lives in thickets, and also in open 

 parts of the country ; during the day it remains in 

 holes ; at night it comes forth, and is very destruc- 

 tive to poultry, eating the eggs and sucking the 

 blood of the birds which it catches : it climbs trees, 

 eats fruit, and Azara believes that it also feeds upon 

 insects and reptiles. 



CRAB-EATING OPOSSUM. 



Didelphys cancriwra. 

 . Didelphys cancrivora, Temminck. 



Description. Length of head and body, 1 6 inches; 

 of tail, 15 inches; of head, from the tip of the 

 muzzle to the ear, 3 inches 8 lines ; of the fore-foot, 

 1 inch 8 lines ; of the tarsus, 2 inches 2 lines ; 

 of the ear, 1 inch 6 lines. Ordinary fur harsh and 

 somewhat woolly, of a dirty white colour next the 

 skin, and dark brown, or black, externally; the 

 longer interspersed hairs are whitish at the base, 

 and sooty black beyond ; limbs and feet black ; 

 general colour of the head brown, the hairs are 



