DIDELPHYS BREVICEPS. 89 



and throat are of a dark brown tint ; the chest and 

 under parts of the body are of a pale brown colour, 

 the hairs on these parts are white at the base : the 

 legs and feet are black : the ears are blacky somewhat 

 mottled with whitish at the apex : a very small por- 

 tion of the tail is covered with fur like that of the 

 body, the remaining portion is furnished with scales ; 

 it appears to have been blackish at the base and 

 whitish beyond. 



This species is from the same locality as the last, 

 that is, California ; it is easily distinguished from 

 either of the foregoing by the shortness of its head, 

 and the great length and abundance of the inter- 

 spersed coarse hairs on the back, &c. ; the ears are 

 also smaller in proportion. 



As the above completes the descriptions of the five 

 species of Opossum, belonging to the first section, 

 or that group of which the Common Virginian Opos- 

 sum may be regarded as the type, and in which the 

 form of the body is robust, and the fur long and 

 woolly, and having interspersed longer and somewhat 

 bristly hairs, — I will briefly recapitulate their chief 

 distinguishing characters. 



Tiidelphys Virginiana may be distinguished by its 

 paler colouring, white head, which exhibits no mark 

 on the forehead, and by the comparatively small space 

 occupied by the dark coloured hairs which surround 

 the eyes, the ears are black margined with white at 

 the apex, — sometimes there is a faint dusky mark on 

 the forehead. 



Didelphys Azarce is remarkable for its white head, 



