mammalia. FERA£. Didelphis.' 65 
20, didelphis. Fore-teeth minute, round- 
ed ; upper 10 , intermediate 2 longer; 
lower 8, intermediate 2 broader, very 
Ihort: tujks long: grinders crenate : 
tongue fringed with papilla;; -3^ pouch 
* (in many) abdominal, covering the 
teats, 
riiis tribe is cbiefly found in America, living in holes in woody 
places, burrowing in the earth, and climbing trees by means 
of their prehenfile tail; they move Ilowly, feed on birds, 
efpecially poultr)', infefts, worms, and vegetables ; feet ufu- 
S'toed divided, the great toe remote ; perus moftly con- 
cealed, glans divided; females Ibmetimes with i — 3 ab- 
dominal pouches which can be opened or fiiut at pleafure, in 
which the young are hid in time of danger, and which is 
prefent Ibmetimes in the males. 
Teats 8, within the pouch. Amhoyna Opoffum. 
Inhabits Amboyna : fize of a large cat. 
i^'oftrils perpendicular, lunar ; xuhijkers long, 5-rowed ; brifiles 
8 at each corner of the mouth and 5 under the throat ; ears 
oval, lax, black, tipt with white ; grinders Ifh-xte, anterior 
ones fimple, firft (mall ; kgs black, Imooth, with fliort hair ; 
tail length of the body. 
Tail bulhy at the bafe ; eats pendulous ; teats 4. 
Brafil OpoFum^ 
Inhabits South Americas length g inches, tail 14. 
iVhiJkers 6 rows ; margin of the orbits dufky ; feet whitilli ; 
naked part of the tail whitiih with brown fpots. 
Tail hairy near the bafe ; region of the eyebrows paler. 
Virginian OpoFum^ 
2, Back dark -brown; belly yellowifh. 
Inhabits the warm and temperate parts of America, 2) Ceylon^ 
Molucca ; fprings from tree to tree by means of the prehenfile 
tail; how of foot, tenacious of life ; grunts, is eahly tamed, 
brings 4 — 5 young, which are carefully hid in the poucli ; 
about a foot long. 
Head longer, more acute than the laft, fhorter than D. niarfupi~_ 
alis; ears longifh-oval, 2) Ihort, rounded ; teats g — 7; tai! 
ftiorter than the body, naked part whitiih, 
y ol, I , — K, CeyopeU 
