362 



DIBELPHyiDJB. 



„ „ i 2 ad. 5 & 3 yg. al. I Taquara, Eio Grande Dr. H. von Ihering 

 ""*■ ISkullofa. f doSul. [OJ. 



(«. Type of species.) 



19. Didelphys sorex. 



Microdelphys sorex, Hens. Abh. Ak. Berl. 1872, p. 122. 

 Shkew Opossum:. 



Size very small, form slender and delicate. Fnr straight and 

 crisp. General colour grey above, rufous on sides. Muzzle long, 

 narrow and pointed, the -vrhole head unusually slender. Ehinarium 

 smooth and naked, its central groove and the lateral notches in its 

 lower edge almost obsolete. Ears of medium size, laid forward (in 

 spirit-specimens) they faU short of the posterior canthus of the eye 

 by about 2 or 3 miQim. Centre of face grizzled grey, continuous 

 with the grey of the back ; an ill-defined rufous spot abov-e each 

 eye, and a prominent rufous patch in front of each ear ; whole of 

 cheeks, flanks, and outersides of hips pale rufous. Chin clear yellowish 

 rufous ; chest and body similar, but the hairs slate-coloured basally. 

 Arms and legs like beUy. Tail from one half to two thirds the 

 length of the heiad and body, thinly hairy, brown above, pale rufous 

 below, its basal third of an inch fuiry like the body. 



Slcull very light aind delicate. Muzzle long and narrow, not 

 flattened posteriorly. Interorbital region narrow, its edges smoothly 

 rounded, but a minute inflation present on each side in the usual 

 position of the postorbital processes, the result being that the inter- 

 temporal is greater than the interorbital width. Zygomata thin and 

 weak, little expanded, the greatest zygomatic breadth scarcely more 

 than half the basal length of the skull. 



Teeth. Fpper canines short. P.' and p.* about equal in size. 

 Combined lengths of the three anterior molars 4'5 to 5 miUim. 

 Lower p.* distinctly smaller than p.^ Length of lower molar series 

 about 6 millim. 



Dimermons. 



3. S- 



* (in spirit), a (in spirit). 



— Adnlt. 



miUim. millim. 



Head and body 72 67 



Tail 46 45 



Lower leg 16 



Hind foot 12 



Muzzle to eye 9 



Ear 5-2 



SkuU, see p. 367. 



Hob. Eio Grande do Sul. 

 Type in the Berlin Museum. 



" From Hensel, loc. ait. 



