LEMURINE/ AND PORCULINE OPOSSUM. 43? 
Lemijrine OPOSSUM. 
This is a large species, being equal in size to 
a cat, but longer bodied in proportion. Its colour 
is a fine brownish or iron-grey above, and pale 
yellowish brown beneath, in some specinieiis nearly 
white ; the sides of the neck and the feet have also a 
tinge of this colour ; the fur on the whole animal u 
extremely thick, rich, and soft, scarcely yielding in 
elegance to that of the petaurus, or great flying 
opossum ; the muzzle is short and roundish ; the 
whiskers laFge ; the ears upright, large, and a 
little inclining to a pointed form at the tips ; the 
eyes bright, and reddish ; the hind feet furnished 
with a rounded interior toe ; the tail, which is 
thick, long, and very furry, is prehensile, and is of 
the same colour w ith the body for about a fourth of 
its length, the remainder being black ; it is naked 
beneath to a great distance from the tip. The 
general length of the body is about eighteen 
inches ; of the tail about twelve. Living speci- 
mens of this beautiful animal have been brought 
into England. In their maimer of life they re- 
semble the rest of this genus, feeding on small 
birds, vegetablcs,'&c. In feeding they often set in 
the manner of a squirrel, holding their food in 
their hands. 
PORCULINE OPOSSUM. 
A specimen of this is preserved in Mr. Hunter’s 
museum. It is about the size of a half grown 
domestic cat, and is remarkable for a thicker or 
more corpulent habit than most others of the ge- 
nus. The bind legs are considerably longer than 
the fore, and have in miniature the form of those 
of the kanguroo and some other Australasian qua- 
