MERIAN’S OPOSSUM. 123 
The fur of the Merian’s Opossum is very short, and lies closely upon the 
skin. On the upper portions of the body its colour is a pale greyish brown, 
fading-below into a yellowish white. Round the eyes is a deep brown mark, 
which extends forward in front of each eye, and forms a small dark patch. 
MERIAN’S OPOSSUM.—(Philander dorsigerus.) 
(Size of Life.) 
The forehead, the upper part of the head, and the cheeks, together with the 
limbs and feet, are of a yellowish white, tending to grey. 
“Towards the base the tail is clothed with hair of the same texture and 
colour as that of the upper part of the body, but towards its extremity it 
becomes white. Its native country is Surinam. 
PHOCIDA, OR SEALS. 
We now arrive at a very wonderful series of animals, which, although they 
breathe atmospheric air like other mammalia, are yet almost entirely aquatic 
in their habits, and are never seen except in the water or its immediate vicinity. 
The first family of these aquatic mammalia is that which is formed of the 
animals which are popularly known by the name of SEALS. 
The COMMON SEAL is spread very widely over many portions of the globe, 
and is of very frequent occurrence upon our own coasts, where it is found in 
considerable numbers, much to the annoyance of the fishermen, who look 
upon it with intense hatred, on account of the havoc which it makes among 
the fish. 
It is rather a handsome animal, with its beautifully mottled skin and large 
intelligent eyes, and. although not so large as other species which are also 
found upon the British coasts, yields to none of them in point of beauty. The 
