104 THE OPOSSUMS. 



rust colour, and in the region of the ears and on the 

 cheeks there is a yellowish tint ; they have no pouch. 



Length from nose to root of tail, 6 inches 9 lines ; 

 of tail, 1 inches 6 lines ; of hairy portion of tail, 2 

 inches 2 lines ; from nose to eye, 7^ lines. 



This species was discovered in Brazil by Mr. Nat- 

 terer. 



MERIAN'S OPOSSUM.* 



Didelphys dorsigera. 

 Didelphys dorsigera, Temniinck. 



Description. — Tail slender, longer than the head and 

 body taken together, clothed at the base with hair like 

 that of the body, the remaining portion naked and of 

 a brown colour ; fur short and somewhat adpressed, 

 the hairs on the upper parts of the body are grey at 

 the base, and greyish-brown, or brown, at the apex ; 

 the under parts of the body are yellowish white ; a 

 deep brown spot encircles the eyes, this spot is most 

 extended in front of the eye, above and beneath the 

 eye it occupies but a narrow space; the forehead and 

 vertex of the head are yellowish-white, the cheeks 

 are of the same tint, as are also the outer side of the 

 limbs and the feet. 



* I have taken this name (which is that of a " German 

 Paintress") from Pennant who says that lady was the first 

 discoverer of the species. I must observe, however, that Pen- 

 nant's description does not very well agree with that above, 

 though he refers it to the Didelphys dorsigera of Linnaeus. 



