THE WATER-OPOSSUM— THE MARSUPIAL MOLE 391 



Taken as a group, all these American Opossums are much alike, 

 so that any species of them can be readily referred to its family. All 

 the other species are much smaller than this common North American 

 one, sOme being hardly bigger than Mice ; and most of them have 

 but a rudimentary pouch or even none at all. The young of several, 

 when they cease to cling on to the nipples of the old ones, ride on 

 her back, holding on not only with their paws, but also by twining 

 their tails round that of their mother. One beautiful little species 

 of this group is the Murine Opossum {Didelphys murind) i a pretty 

 chestnut-coloured animal hardly bigger than a Dormouse, but with its 

 tiny head a perfect miniature of the big Opossum's, and the same 

 habit of noiseless snarling. The last specimen of this little creature 

 exhibited in our Zoological Gardens was imported accidentally along 

 with bananas. 



Some of the small Opossums are very like Shrews, having com- 

 paratively short and non-prehensile tails ; and, indeed, these little 

 Opossums seem to be the natural representatives of these Insectivores 

 in South America. 



THE WATER-OPOSSUM 



(Chironectes yapock) 



The Water-Opossum enjoys the distinction of being the only truly 

 aquatic Marsupial, and, in adaptation to this habit, has large webbed 

 hind-feet. Like an Otter — by which name it is called in Demerara — 

 the Water-Opossum lives in holes in the banks, and feeds on fish 

 and other aquatic creatures. Its cheeks are pouched to hold its food, 

 and it has the marsupial brood-pouch fully developed. The litter are 

 about six in number. This Opossum is about as large as a Rat, 

 and peculiarly coloured, being light grey, with some large transverse 

 dark-brown patches on the upper parts. It is found in Brazil as well 

 as in Guiana, but has never been exhibited at our Zoological Gardens. 



THE MARSUPIAL MOLE 



{Noioryctes typhlops) 



This curious little animal, which is the sole representative of its 

 family (Notoryctidce) is of peculiar interest as exemplifying the great 

 variety among these pouched animals ; it is a quite recent discovery, 



