90 LECTURE III. 



from tree to tree, and to a very considerable dis- 

 tance: the hind-feet are furnished with thumbs, 

 and the tail is long and thickly furred : the colour 

 of the whole animal is a most beautiful sable or 

 blackish grey, of a yellowish cast beneath, and its 

 ^r is still finer than that of the lemurine Opos- 

 sum. It is known in its native regions by the 

 name of Hepoona Roo. 



But the most curious of all the Opossums is 

 the Didelphis pygmcea or Pygmy Opossum, which 

 in its general form is similar to the Hepoona Roo, 

 but no larger than a common Mouse. Its colour 

 is an elegant pale brownish-grey, white beneath, 

 and the tail is slightly flattened, with the hair 

 spreading to a small distance on each side, 

 throughout its whole length. 



The genus Macropiis or Kangaroo, which fol- 

 lows that of Opossum, is strongly allied to those 

 janimals in being provided with a pouch for the 

 temporary preservation of its young, but differs 

 in the front-teeth, which are six in number in the 

 iupper jaw, and two in the lower, which lower teeth 

 ^re extremely large, long, sharp, and prominent : 

 the grinders are five on each side, both above and 

 below : it also differs in its manner of life, being 



