SHORT-HEADED OPOSSUM. 
4 70 
sion of the Opossums in which the pouch is well developed, 
the British Museum Collection contains two specimens of an 
animal which resembles the Didelphys cancrivora in having 
the bodv and limbs almost of an uniform black colour, hut 
,> 
which, like the D. Azures , lias a white head adorned with 
three black marks, one of which commences in a point 
between the eyes, and runs backwards on to the occiput, 
where it is much expanded; of the others, one is placed on 
each side of the head, commencing on the muzzle, and 
running back to the ear ; they inclose the eye, as in D. Azarce. 
From this species they differ, not only in having the body 
black, but in having the ears uniformly white. The tail is 
black at the base, and lias the apical half white. The fur is 
white next the skin, or nearly so, as usual, and on the sides 
and under parts of the body the pale parts of the hairs are 
not altogether hidden by the overlapping points. In size 
these animals nearly agree with the D. cancrivora. 
Length of head and body, together ... 
tl of tail 
11 from nose to ear 
u of ear 
11 of fore foot 
** of hind foot 
Male. 
Inches. Lines. 
15 0 
15 0 
3 2 
1 2 
1 5 
2 0 
It is not known from what part of America these specimens 
were procured. 
The following species of Opossums are of smaller size, 
and of a more slender form, than those already described ; 
they differ, moreover, in having the fur short, and destitute 
of the long bristly interspersed hairs. 
