azara’s opossum. 471 
sometimes rusty brown. The fur on other parts of the body 
is of a dirty yellowish white hue next the skin, and more or 
less suffused with sooty black externally ; on the back very 
little of the pule colour is perceptible, but on the sides and 
under parts of the body the black is less extended on each 
hair, and the pale hue is seen when the fur is in its ordinary 
position—most so, on the under parts of the body. The 
visible portions of the very long interspersed hairs, which are 
abundant on the back and sides of the body, are pure white. 
The legs and feet are sooty black. About one-tliird of the 
tail is clothed with fur like that on the body ; on the remain¬ 
ing portion there arc but minute scattered hairs springing 
from the interstices of the small scales, with which this part 
of the tail is covered; both the scales and the small hairs are 
black on the second third of the tail, 
terminal third. 
and white oi 
Inches. Lines. 
Length from tip of nose to root of tail 
. 19 
0 
“ of tail 
19 
0 
“ from nose to ear 
4 
3 
* # ** of ear 
1 
9 
11 of fore foot 
1 
11 
** of hind foot ... ... 
2 
6 
A specimen of the D. Azarcc, brought by Mr. Darwin from 
Maldonado, La Plata, measured seventeen inches in length 
from the tip of the nose to the root of the tail, and its tail 
was about thirteen and a half inches in length. These 
admeasurements slightly exceed those given by M. Temminck, 
which are as follows :— 
Adult, 
Female. 
Male. 
Male. 
Ins. Lines. 
Ins. Lines. 
Ins. Lines. 
Head and body 
16 3 
14 7 
14 0 
Tail . . 
14 7 
13 6 
13 0 
