MAMMA LIA .
it to the Didelphis crassicaudata of Desmarest, which is founded upon Azara s
description.
The head of the Didelphis crassicaudata is shorter and less pointed than in most
other Opossums ; the ears are unusually small, and the tail is very thick. In the
character of the fur also, this species differs from most others, the hairs being
rather short and somewhat adpressed ; and the soft under-fur being very scanty.
Upon separating the fur on the back and sides of the body, numerous young hairs
were visible in the specimen from which the above description is taken, and these
were of a bright rusty red tin t; the colouring of the animal therefore would, m all
prohahility, have been veiy different after a short time, had it not been killed.
Those observed by Azara varied considerably in their colouring. The skull is
figured in Plate 34. figs. 25. Fig. d represents a ramus ot the lower jaw.
In. Lines.
Length of the s k u l l .........................................................................................2 4
W i d t h ................................................................................................................1 3
Length of nasal h o n e s .........................................................................................0
-------------- of p a l a t e ...........................................................................................1 2f
W idth of palate between tlie posterior molars . . . . 0 5
Distance between forepart of front incisors and forepart of canine 2 Of
Distance between forepart of canine and hinder pai-t of last molar 1 0
Length of ranri« of lower jaw (incisors not included) . . 1 IO5
“ This specimen was caught at Maldonado : it weighed 14i oz.”—D.
3 . D id e l p h is e l e g a n s .
P l a t e XXXI.
1>. veliere longo et molli, corpore suprà cinereo-fuscesceute lavalo ; pedibus corporeque
subths albis, oculis nigro circumdatis, interspatio cinerescente ; auribus magnis
fuscescentibus ; caudâ, capite et corpore, paulo breviore.
D e s c r i p t i o n . — Muzzle slender and pointed ; ears large; tail rather shorter than
the head and body taken together; furlong and very soft : general tint of
the upper parts of the head and body ashy-gray washed with brown ; on the
sides of the body, especially near the shoulders, a faint yellowish tint is
observable ; the lower part of the cheeks, the throat, under parts of the body
and the feet, are white, with an indistinct yellowish tint ; the eyes are encircled
with brownish-black, w'hich tint is extended forwards on to the sides
of the muzzle ; the upper surface of the muzzle and the inter-orbital space is