NARRATIVE OF AN 



the middle of which was a tendon. It had four toes 

 on each wing, with fliarp nails divided like the web- 

 foot of a duck * ; and on the extremity of each pi- 

 nion, where the toes are joined, was a nail or claw to 

 aflift it in crawling, like thofe of its hinder feet, by 

 which it hangs fufpended when afleep to trees, rocks, 

 roofs, Sec. 



One of the marines having this morning taken a mu" 

 rine or moufe oppojjum, I fhall alfo take the opportunity 

 of defcribing it, and prefent it to the reader as I defigned 

 it from the life. This animal differs widely in fome par- 

 ticulars from the defcription of the Count de Buffon 

 For inftance, it was much fwifter than any of the oppof- 

 fums that he fpeaks of, and had the whole tail covered 

 over with hair inftead of fcales, to the beft of my remem- 

 brance ; if, however, my fight deceived me, I am not the 

 only erroneous writer on the fubjecft of this animal. 

 Linnaus, Seba, and Mr. Vormeer^ with the laft of whom 

 I am acquainted, confider it as common to both the old 

 and new continent ; whereas all its fpecies are moft affur- 

 edly inhabitants of America only. Linnaeus is alfo mif- 

 taken when he afferts, that all bats have four cutting teeth 

 in each .•^( See Buffon^ Vol. V. page 282.) 



This murine oppoffum was not more than the fize of 

 a very large moufe. It was perfectly black, except the 

 belly, the feet, and the extremity of the tail, v/hich were 

 all buff-coloured, with a buff fpot above each eye, which 



* In Vol, IV. plate the 83d, by the Count dc Buffon, a bat is reprefented 

 with only tliree toes on each wing, 



refcmblcd 



