MAMMALIA. 



95 



it to the Didelphis crassicaudata of Desmarest, which is founded upon Azara's 

 description. 



The head of the Didelphis crassicaudata is shorter and less pointed than in most 

 other Opossums ; the ears are unusually small, and the tail is very thick. In the 

 character of the fur also, this species differs from most others, the hairs being 

 rather short and somewhat adpressed ; and the soft under-fur being very scanty. 

 Upon separating the fur on the back and sides of the body, numerous young hairs 

 were visible in the specimen from which the above description is taken, and these 

 were of a bright rusty red tint ; the colouring of the animal therefore would, in all 

 probability, have been very different after a short time, had it not been killed. 

 Those observed by Azara varied considerably in their colouring. The skull is 

 figured in Plate 34. figs. 25. Fig. d represents a ramus of the lower jaw. 



In. Lines. 



Length of the skull ........ 2 4 



Width 1 3 



Length of nasal bones ........ 9^ 



of palate .1 2f 



Width of palate between the posterior molars .... 5 



Distance between forepart of front incisors and forepart of canine 2 OJ 



Distance between forepart of canine and hinder part of last molar 1 



Length of ramus of lower jaw (incisors not included) . . 1 I0£ 



" This specimen was caught at Maldonado : it weighed 14^ oz." — D. 



3. Didelphis elegans. 



Plate XXXI. 



D. vellere longo et motti, corpore supra, cinereo-fuscescente lavalo ; pedibus corporeque 

 subtiis albis, oculis nigro circumdatis, interspatio cinerescente ; auribus magnis 

 fuscescentibus ; cauda, capite et corpore, paulo breviore. 



Description. — Muzzle slender and pointed ; ears large; tail rather shorter than 

 the head and body taken together; furlong and very soft : general tint of 

 the upper parts of the head and body ashy-gray washed with brown ; on the 

 sides of the body, especially near the shoulders, a faint yellowish tint is 

 observable ; the lower part of the cheeks, the throat, under parts of the body 

 and the feet, are white, with an indistinct yellowish tint; the eyes are en- 

 circled with brownish-black, which tint is extended forwards on to the sides 

 of the muzzle ; the upper surface of the muzzle and the inter-orbital space is 



