28 
MAMMALIA, 
diminutive size, and are rather Insectivora than Carnivora. They 
live almost entirely on trees, and it is there that they seek food. 
They vary in size, from that of the Mouse to that of the Brown Bat. 
The Banded Myrmecobe ( Myrmecobius fcisciatus) is a beautiful 
little animal, of the size of the Common Squirrel, which is remark- 
able for having as many as fifty-two teeth in all. It has a hand- 
some brush tail, and transverse stripes upon its hack, somewhat as 
in the Thylacin. It inhabits the western portion of Australia. 
Fig. 10. — Spotted Dasyure ( Dasyurus viverrinus). 
The Family oe Opossums. — The Opossums were the first- 
known species of Marsupials. They belong exclusively to the 
Hew World, where they are very commonly met with, from the 
more southern of the United States right away to Patagonia. 
They are climbing animals, in their appearance and diet resem- 
bling Carnivora, and which in size do not exceed that of our 
domestic Cat. Many of them are, indeed, much smaller. They 
have the thumbs opposable and nailless, the tail generally bare 
and prehensile for its terminal half, or more. Their mouth is 
