THE MERIAN OPOSSUM. 267 



corruption derived from tayra^ which is the true 

 name of this animal. 



XVI. 



THE MERIAN OPOSSUM*. 



THIS animal is a native of the fame cli- 

 mate, and belongs to a neighbouring fpecies with 

 the other opolTums. Sibilla Meriaa is the firft 

 writer who has given a figure amd a fhort ac- 

 count 



• Merian opolTum, with long, fliarp pointed, naked ears ; 

 head, and upper part of the body, of a yellowifli brown co- 

 lour ; the belly white tinged with yellow ; the fore feet di- 

 vided into five fingers ; the hind into four and a thumb, each 

 furnlllied with flat nails ; tail very long, flender, and, except 

 at the bafe, quite naked ; Pennant's fynopf. of quad, p. 210. 



Dezak ; Merian. InfeH. Surinam, p. 66. tab. 66. Meriaii 



is the name of a German paintrefs, who firft difcovered this 

 fpecies at Surinam. 



Mus fylveftris Americanns ; Seh. Muf. torn. i. p. i^^.tab. 31. 



Philander ex ruio hclvus in dorfo, in ventre ex flavo al- 

 liicans ; Brijfon quad, p.ziz. 



Mus fylveftris Americanus, catulos in dorfo geren? ; Klsin 

 quad. /■ 58. 



Didelphis dorfigcra, Cauda bati pilofa, corpore longiore, 

 digitis manuum muticis ; Linn. fyjl. nat. p. 72. 



Le Philandre de Surinam ; Buffon. 



