102 THE OPOSSUMS. 



PHILANDER OPOSSUM. 



DidelpJiys Philander. 

 Didelphys Philander, Temminck. 



Description. Size of J). opossum, muzzle short 

 and obtuse; tail longer than the head and body taken 

 together ; ribs very broad ; fur very soft, cotton-like 

 and glossy, of a bright rusty fawn colour on the 

 upper parts of the body, and tinted with yellowish 

 on the sides ; under parts of the body yellowish 

 white ; a brown patch encircles the eyes and extends 

 forward on the sides of the muzzle; a narrow brownish 

 line runs from the tip of the muzzle and terminates 

 on the crown of the head ; the forehead on either 

 side of this line is greyish white ; the ears are large, 

 of an oval form and brownish colour, and the feet 

 are of the same tint ; the tail is covered at the base 

 with fur like that of the body, beyond this it is co- 

 vered with scales, at the base brown, and at the apex 

 white, an intermediate space is mottled with brown 

 and white. The female is provided with a pouch 



Length from nose to root of tail, 9 inches ; tail, 1 3 

 inches; from nose to ear, 1 inch 9 lines; ear, 10 lines; 

 tarsus, 1 inch 5 lines ; length of portion of tail covered 

 with fur, 2 inches 8 lines. 



In an animal now before me, which agrees in all 

 essential particulars with the foregoing description, 

 there is scarcely any brown colouring on the tail, 

 it is confined to a few scattered spots on the basal 



