THE MAMMALS OF NEW JERSEY. 30 
Order MARSUPIALIA. 
Pouched Mammals. 
This order is represented in America only by the opossums, 
and but one species occurs north of Mexico, 
Family DIDELPHIDE. 
OPossuUMS. 
Genus Dipriruts, Linnzus. 
Didelphis virginiana Kerr. 
Virginia Opossum. 
PLATE I. 
Length, 27 inches; hair long and rather coarse; general 
color, grayish white; long overlying hairs, white; under fur 
white, with black tips; legs brownish black; feet black, toes 
white, head, throat and underparts white, ears naked, black 
with whitish tips; tail prehensile, nearly naked, black at the 
base, passing into dull flesh color. 
This familiar animal is abundant all over the southern states, 
and ranges well up the Mississippi Valley and up the Atlantic 
slope as far as southern New York. Its normal range is coin- 
cident with the upper border of the Carolinian fauna, which runs 
approximately from New York to Trenton, and which marks 
also the northern limit of the opossum’s favorite food, the per- 
simmon, and, in a general way, that of his mortal enemy, the 
country negro. 
The opossum, however, occurs farther north in the State in 
reduced numbers, and Mr. Rhoads records individuals secured 
in Bergen, Hudson and Passaic counties, in all of which, how- 
ever, it is regarded as rare. 
