84) THE OPOSSUMS. 



sbortlsli hairs, springing from their interstices ; both 

 the scales and the hairs are black, excepting on the 

 apical portion, where they are white, the space oc- 

 cupied by white scales is about 5 or 6 inches in 

 length ; the ears are 1 inch and 9 lines in length, 

 black at the base, and white beyond ; the hairs of 

 the moustaches are very long, those nearest the 

 mouth are whitish, the others are black ; on the 

 cheeks, and above the eyes, there are long bristly 

 hairs, as in the Virginian Opossum. 



Observations. — This species may at once be dis- 

 tinguished from the D. Virginiana, by the broad 

 black stripe on the forehead,* the comparatively 

 great extent of the black mark which runs throuo;h 

 the^eye, and the colouring of the ears, which, instead 

 of being black, and narrowly edged with white at 

 the apex as in the Virginian Opossum, are white, 

 and clouded with black at the base. The general 

 colouring of the present animal is moreover much 

 darker, and the under parts of the body are, for the 

 most part, of a brown colour. M. Temminck also 

 mentions the superior length of the tail as a distin- 

 guishing character, but this appears to vary consider- 

 ably in different individuals ; and I suspect there is 

 a difference in this respect in the sexes. 



A specimen of D. Azarce, brought from Mal- 

 donado, by Mr. Darwin, furnishes the following 

 proportions : — 



* The Virginian Opossum has occasionally a small dusky 

 stripe on the forehead. 



