486 
MERIAN OPOSSUM. 
yellowish brown colour, and white beneath : when 
these rats come out of their hole, either to play 
or to seek their food, they run about with their 
mother, but when they are satisfied with food, or 
are apprehensive of danger, they climb up again 
on the back of the mother, and twist their tails 
round that of the parent, who runs with them 
into her hole again." 
It is necessary to observe, that in Madame 
Merian's figure the feet are not accurately repre- 
sented: this is observed by Seba, who assures us, 
that the toes on the fore feet are all furnished 
with small round nails, while those on the hind 
feet have sharp claws, except the thumb or inte- 
rior toe, which has a rounded nail, like those on 
the fore feet. In colour this species seems to 
vary a httle, being either of a deep brown above, 
and white beneath ; or of a yelloAvish-brown above, 
and yellowish-white beneath. The eyes, as in the 
former species or Murine Opossum, are surrounded 
Avith a darker or blacker colour than on the rest 
of the animal, and indeed there seems to be some 
reason for supposing that this and the Murine 
Opossum may be one and the same species. The 
number of teats in the Didelphis Murina of Lin. 
is said to be only six; Mr. Pennant, on the con- 
trary, assures us that they sometimes amount to 
ten or fourteen. The teats of the Merian Opos- 
sum are not particularized by its describers, but 
the number of young is said to be generally five or 
six. In the Leverian Museum is an elegant spe- 
cimen of this animal. 
