Marsupials and Monotremes 



37< 



in number, on their 

 backs, are denizens 

 of tropical South 

 America. (^ne of 

 these, named the 

 Philander Opossum, 

 attains to the some- 

 what larger size of 

 about 2 i'eet in total 

 length, the long 

 prehensile tail 

 representing, how- 

 ever, the greater 

 moiety of these 

 dimensions. 



The Selva. 



South America 



has one other mar- 

 supial — the Selva 



— an animal which, 



while possessing the 



dimensions an d 



much of the aspect 



of an ordinary rat, 



is remarkable as 



differing so materi- 

 ally in the character 



of its teeth and 



other structural 



points that it cannot 



be referred to any 



existing marsupial 



family. On the 



other hand, this tv])e 



is found to coincide 

 in the aljo\'e par- 

 ticulars with species 

 hitherto only known 

 in the fossil state, 

 and excavated from 

 the same tertiary 

 deposits in Pata- 

 gonia which have 

 been iM'oductive of 

 the distant ally of 

 the Tasmanian wolf. 

 It is yet hoped by 



zoologists that the discovery of other interesting and possilily some supposed extinct mammals 

 may reward the thorough exploration of the vast South American forests. The capture in the 

 flesh of some form allied to the huge ground-sloths, such as the Mylodon and ilegatherium, 

 is, however, now considered to he quite beyond the pale of possibility. 



Photo liij Br. K. W. Sliufddl] 



youxG orossuM (x.^tural 



Thi.s is an interestiDg photogiaiili, 



it is ivpniduced life-size 

 native lanri. 



aDd I 



[]Viu^]un(ltoii. 



iIZE). 



es an excellent idea at the anijiial 



