CLASS MAMMALIA. 



Order I. Marsupialia. 



Fam. I. Didelphyidae. 



Limbs rather short: feet with five distinct toes; tail prehensile. 

 Pouch sometimes present. Habits arboreal. 



1. Didelphys. 



I- '—' C. l£i; P. p^^; M. ^=50. 

 Didelphys. Linn. Syst. Nat., 1758, i, p. 54. Type Z>. marsupialis. Linn. 



Feet with five distinct toes, all provided with nails except the 

 first toe of the hind foot, which is large, opposed to the others in 

 grasping, and is without a nail. Tail long, prehensile, partly naked. 

 Pouch complete. Long bristle-like hairs mingle with the fur. In- 

 cisors small and pointed, canines large. Premolars with compressed, 

 pointed crowns. 



I. virginiana. {^Didelphys), Kerr, Linn. Anim. King., 1792, p. 193. 



Type locality. Virginia. 



Geogr. Distr. New York on the Atlantic coast to Florida and 

 west to Mississippi and Texas. 



Genl. Char. Same as those of the genus. Hoary; toes white 

 half way from claws. 



Color. Under fur white; upper parts covered with black and 

 white hairs, the latter the longer and giving a hoary or whitish 

 appearance; head yellowish white, pure white on cheeks, blackish on 

 top of head and around the eyes; beneath dusky, with white hairs 

 intermixed; legs and feet black; tail black at base, remainder yellow- 

 ish white; ears black with yellow spot on upper edge. Toes of fore 

 feet white halfway from claws; those of hind feet white at base of 

 claws. 



Measurements. Total length, 736; tail vertebras, 381; hind 

 foot, 75; ear height from crown, 51. 



a. — pigra. {Didelphys), Bangs, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., 1898, 

 p. 172. 



