ELEGANT OPOSSUM. 
517 
near the termination of the first quarter of the entire length; 
from that point it rather suddenly diminishes in diameter, and 
at the extremity it terminates in a fine point; at the base it 
is distinctly constricted; about a quarter of an inch of the 
tail, at the apex, is bare beneath, and there is a longitudinal 
groove on this part; the remaining portions are covered with 
minute adpressed hairs, which, however, are not sufficiently 
numerous to hide the skin: the scales on the skin are very 
indistinct. 
Female? 
Male. 
Male, 
preserved 
in spirits, 
Brit. Mus. 
Female V 
Ins. Lines. 
Ins. Lines. 
Ins. Lines. 
Ins. Lines. 
Ins. Lines. 
Length from tip of nose 
to root of tail 
4 1 
5 5 
4 6 
4 1 
5 3 
“ of tail . 
3 6 
4 2 
4 4 
4 3 
5 2 
Diameter of ditto near 
the root 
5 
Length from nose to eye 
Gi 
7 
54 
“ “ nose to ear 
9f 
1 0£ 
1 14 
111 
i 04 
“ of ear ... 
71 
74 
74 
74 
n 
Width of ditto 
74 
74 
7 
Length of fore foot ... 
5i 
6 
54 
“ of hind foot ... 
74 
7 
74 
h 
74 
“ of skull 
1 1 
1 2i 
1 24 
Width of ditto . 
H 
8§ 
8 
“ u between 
orbits 
n 
24 
Length of nasal bones 1 2 
54 
“ of palate 
7 
74 
11 from front of 
foremost inci- 
sor to back of 
last molar tooth 
n 
“ of lower jaw ... 
10 
10J 
1 In this specimen, which is apparently a female, the tail is not incrassated, 
but I am satisfied that the thick tail is not peculiar to either sex. 
2 The nasal bones are not expanded behind, as is usual in the Opossums, 
but are of very nearly the same width throughout. 
