486* MERIAN OPOSSUM. 



yellowish brown colour, and white beneath : when 

 these rats come out of their hole, either to play 

 or to seek their food, they run about with their 

 mother, but when they are satisfied with food, or 

 are apprehensive of danger, they climb up again 

 on the back of the mother, and twist their tails 

 round that of the parent, who runs with them 

 into her hole again." 



It is necessary to observe, that in Madame 

 Merian's figure the feet are not accurately repre- 

 sented : this is observed by Seba, who assures us, 

 that the toes on the fore feet are all furnished 

 with small round nails, while those on the hind 

 feet have sharp claws, except the thumb or inte- 

 rior toe, which has a rounded nail, like those on 

 the fore feet. In colour this species seems to 

 vary a little, being either of a deep brown above, 

 and white beneath ; or of a yellowish-brown above, 

 and yellowish-white beneath. The eyes, as in the 

 former species or Murine Opossum, are surrounded 

 with a darker or blacker colour than on the rest 

 of the animal, and indeed there seems to be some 

 reason for supposing that this and the Murine 

 Opossum may be one and the same species. The 

 number of teats in the Didelphis Murina of Lin. 

 is said to be only six; Mr. Pennant, on the con- 

 trary, assures us that they sometimes amount to 

 ten or fourteen. The teats of the Merian Opos- 

 sum are not particularized by its describers, but 

 the number of young is said to be generally five or 

 six. In the Leverian Museum is an elegant spe- 

 cimen of this animal. 



