178 
DIDELPIIYS BREYICEPS. 
Short-headed Opossum. 
Ditlelphis brevicep #. Bknnett, Proceedings of the Zoological Society for 
March, 1833, p. 40. 
Head short; fur long and somewhat woolly, whitish next the skin, 
and black externally; upper parts and sides of the body 
with very long interspersed white hairs; head with the 
upper surface brown, a black mark running through the 
eye, and extending to the car, ami a white mark immediately 
below this: ears black, but mottled with white at the point: 
tail with the scaly portion at first black, but with the apical 
part white: legs and feet black. 
Inhabits California. 
The specific name given by Mr. Bennett to this animal, 
calls attention to its chief distinguishing character, as com¬ 
pared with either of the foregoing species. In its colouring 
it can scarcely bo said to differ from the />. cali/arnica. The 
loug bristly hairs on tlic upper parts of the body arc remark 
ably abundant, and many of them measure iis much as three 
and a half inches in length It was obtained from the same 
part of California as the preceding species. 
Inches. Linn. 
14 0 
12 0 
3 2 
1 1 
1 f> 
2 0 
Length of hend and body ... 
44 of tail . 
44 from nose to car 
44 of car 
44 of fore foot 
44 hind foot 
Besides tiro foregoing species, belonging to the first divi 
