VIVERRIISrE OPOSSUM. 493 
long, but sharp. The animal walks on its whole 
palm, on which there is no hair. The hind feet 
are pretty long^ and have five toes; that which 
answers to our great toe is very shorty and has no 
nail ; the next is the longest in the whole, falHng 
gradually oiF to the outer toe; the shape of the 
hind toes is the same as in the fore feet, as are 
likewise the nails : it walks nearly on the whole 
foot. The tail is covered with long hair, but not 
all of the same colour. 
The teeth of this creature are different from 
any other animal yet known. The mouth is full 
of teeth. The lower jaw narrow in comparison 
to the upper, more especially backwards, which 
allows of much broader grinders in this jaw than 
in the lower, and which occasions the grinders in 
the upper jaw to project considei'ably over those 
in the lower. In the middle the cuspidati oppose 
one another, the upper piercers, or holders, go 
behind those of the lower; the second class of in- 
cisors in the lower jaw overtop those of the up- 
per, while the two first in the lower go within, or 
behind those of the upper. In the upper jaw, 
before the holders, there are four teeth on each 
side, three of which are pointed, the point stand- 
ing on the inner surface ; and the two in front are 
longer, stand more obliquely forwards, and appear 
to be appropriated for a particular use. The 
holders are a little way behind the last fore teeth, 
to allow those of the lower jaw to come between. 
They are pretty long, the cuspidati on each side 
