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

 inches 2 lines ; from nose to eye, 1\ lines. 



This species was discovered in Brazil by Mr. Nat- 

 terer. 



MERIAN'S OPOSSUM.* 



Didelphys dorsigera. 

 Didelphys dorsigera, Temminck. 



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 arid 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. 



