484- MURINE OPOSSUM. 



forehead runs a brownish stripe : the thumbs on 

 the hind feet are rounded, as in most others of 

 this genus. 



It has ten upper fore teeth, of which the mid- 

 dle ones are rather longer than the rest; and 

 eight lower fore teeth, the middle ones rather 

 longest, and standing distant. It is a native of 

 Surinam, and, in all probability, of several other 

 parts of South America. 



MURINE OPOSSUM. 



Didelphis Murina. D. cauda semipilosa, mammis senis. Lin, 



Syst. Nat. Gmel.p. 107. 

 O. with tail half naked, and six teats. 

 Marmose. Buff- 10. p. 335. pi. 52, 53. 

 Murine Opossum. Pennant Quadr. i. p. 23. 



THIS is one of the smaller Opossums, measur- 

 ing about six or eight inches from nose to tail, 

 which is nearly of similar length. It is of a 

 somewhat slender form, with a long and sharpish 

 snout and a wide mouth : the ears are large and 

 rounded, and the tail naked, or scaly its whole 

 length, but coated with straggling hairs for about 

 two inches from the base, or even much less. 

 This species has no ventral pouch, but on each 

 side the lower part of the abdomen is a longitu- 

 dinal furrow or fold, in the cavity of which the 

 teats are situated. The general colour of the 

 Murine Opossum is a kind of tawny brown above, 

 and whitish beneath : the eyes are encircled with 



