T14 THE OPOSSUMS. 



long and tied together by an ample membrane which 

 terminates near the base of the claws ; the thumb, 

 like the inner toe, is large, and has no nail it is con- 

 nected with the toes by a membrane ; the claws are 

 moderate, curved and compressed, the claws of the 

 two inner toes are more compressed than the others. 



Length from nose to root of tail, 10 J inches; tail, 

 13^ inches. 



Observations. The above description is taken 

 from a specimen deposited in the Museum of the 

 Zoological Society by W. B. Scott, Esq. 



At the scientific meeting of the Zoological Society 

 for May 1836, a specimen of Chironectes Yapock 

 was exhibited, on which Mr. Ogilby made the follow- 

 ing remarks : 



" I am indebted to Mr. Natterer for the oppor- 

 tunity of examining this rare and curious animal, of 

 which he brought various specimens from Brazil. 

 That now exhibited is a male, and possesses the same 

 anomaly in the generative organs which characterizes 

 the rest of the Marsupials. I have not seen the 

 female, but Mr. Natterer informs me that the ab- 

 dominal pouch is complete. The species is found in 

 all the smaller streams of Brazil, and appears to ex- 

 tend from the southern confines of that empire, to 

 the shores of the Gulf of Honduras; Buffon's specimen 

 came from Cayenne, and a skin was recently obtained 

 by Mr. W. Brown Scott, labelled c Demerara Otter/ 

 Both this and Mr. Natterer's specimen agree with 

 the figure and description of Buffon, except that they 

 are of a larger size, and instead of a grey mark over 



