CALIFORNIAN OPOSSUM. 
477 
fur, like that on the body; the remaining portions are scaly, 
at first black, but the greater part appears to have been white 
in the living animal. 
Inches. Lines. 
Length of head and body, together 
“ of tail 
“ from nose to ear 
“ of fore foot 
“ of hind foot 
■* of ear 
17 0 
14 0 
3 11 
1 8 
2 1 
1 5 
Two specimens of the present species were obtained by the 
Zoological Society, from that part of California which adjoins 
to Mexico; and it is upon these that Mr. Bennett’s descrip¬ 
tion was drawn up. 
Didelphys pruinosa Wagner. 
The colouring of the fur of the animal described by Dr. 
Wagner, under the above name, can scarcely leave a doubt 
but that it is specifically identical either with the D. calif or - 
nica or the 1J. breviceps; but, unfortunately, the skin upon 
which Dr. Wagner founds his species had had the skull 
removed before it came into his possession; hence the pro¬ 
portions of the head could not be ascertained with any degree 
of accuracy. I have been induced, however, to associate the 
D. pruinosa with the D. californica, rather than the D. bre¬ 
viceps , from the circumstance of its agreeing with the former 
in having the ears totally black. The length of the tail in 
D. pruinosa is said to be about equal to that of the head and 
body, taken together, which is about one foot. The ears are 
nearly an inch and a half in length.—It is from Mexico. 
