28 



MAMMALIA. 



diminutive size, and are rather Insectivora than Carnivora. They 

 live almost entirely on trees, and it is there that they seek food. 

 They vary in size, from that of the Mouse to that of the Brown Rat. 

 The Banded Myrmecobe {Ilijrmecohms fasciatus) is a beautiful 

 little animal, of the size of the Common Squirrel, which is remark- 

 able for having as many as fifty-two teeth in all. It has a hand- 

 some brush tail, and transverse stripes ujaon its back, somewhat as 

 in the Thjdacin. It inhabits the western portion of Australia. 



Yi^. 10. — spotted Dasyure {Daiyurtis vivcrritnis). 



The Family of Opossums. — The Opossums were the first- 

 known species of Marsupials. They belong exclusively to the 

 New World, where they are very commonly met with, from the 

 more southern of the United States right away to Patagonia. 

 They are climbing animals, in their appearance and diet resem- 

 bling Carnivora, and which in size do not exceed that of our 

 domestic Cat. Many of them are, indeed, much smaller. They 

 have the thumbs opposable and nailless, the tail generally bare 

 and prehensile for its terminal half, or more. Their mouth is 



