DIDELPHYS. 7 



15. Didelphys virginiana Kerr. 



Didelphis! virginiana Kerr, Anim. Kingd., 1792, p. 193. 

 Didelphys virginiana Elliot, Syn. N. Am. Mamm., F. C. M. Pub., 



II, 1901, p. I, fig. I. Zool. Ser. 



*DidelphisI virginiana pigra Bangs, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., 



1898, p. 172. 

 Didelphys virginiana pigra Elliot, Syn. N. Am. Mamm., F. C. M. 



Pub., II, 1901, p. I. Zool. Ser. Id. Pub. Field Colum. Mus., 



III, 1901, p. 32. Zool. Ser. 

 Virginian Opossum. 



Type locality. Virginia. 



Geogr. Distr. Atlantic coast of United States from New York to 

 southern Florida, and west to Mississippi, and Texas. 



Didelphys marsupialis insidaris Allen. 



Didelphis! marsupialis insularis Allen, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 



N. Y., 1902, p. 259. 

 Didelphys marsupialis insularis Elliot, Mamm. Middle Amer. & 

 W. Indies, F. C. M. Pub., iv, Pt. i, 1904, p. 17. Zool. Ser. 

 Island Opossum. 



Type locality. Caparo, Island of Trinidad. 



Geogr. Distr. Islands of Dominica, Grenada & St. Vincent, 

 West Indies. Trinidad. 



Didelphys marsupialig baity i Thomas. 



Didelphis! marsupialis hattyi Thomas, Novitat. Zool., ix, 1902, 



p. 137. 

 Didelphys marsupialis hattyi Elliot, Mamm. Middle Amer. & 

 W. Indies, F. C. M. Pub., iv, Pt. i, 1904, p. 17. Zool. Ser. 



 I see no reason whatever to alter the opinion expressed in Pub. F. C. M., 

 Ill, 1901, p. 32, Zool. Ser., that D. v. pigra Bangs is not entitled to even a sub- 

 specific rank, but should be considered a synonym of D. virginiana. That 

 the latter species would assume a black pelage in certain parts of its dispersion, 

 just as D. marsupialis Linn, does, is to be expected, and color in this animal 

 and its near allies cannot be deemed alone to possess specific value. Dr. 

 Allen in his review of Didelphys (Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. N. Y., 1901, p. 

 165), can only say in favor of pigra that "it is not sharply or very strongly 

 differentiated from D. virginiana (typica), but south Florida and Louisiana 

 specimens are quite unlike the northern form through their much darker 

 general coloration," and also slight differences in extent of facial markings, 

 black on ears and tail, and white on toes and ears. It may be remarked that 

 in a series of specimens the last differences are very slight indeed. No char- 

 acters are produced by which pigra can be distinguished from the species 

 D. virginiana, worthy of consideration, save a "much darker general colora- 

 tion" in some examples, which, if allowed, at once necessitates raising to a 

 subspecific rank the black individuals of D. marsupialis Linn., found so fre- 

 quently in certain parts of its dispersion, and thus far no one has had the 

 temerity to do this. D. v. pigra apparently has not one qualification to en- 

 title it to a subspecific rank, and if it has, no one has, as yet, been able to 

 discover it. 



