32 UNITED STATES AND MEXICAN BOUNDARY. 



am, howeverj inclined to doubt the extent of this range, No evidence is before me of its 

 existence to any great distance west of tlie Missouri^ the south Texas and California species 

 being probably quite different. 



This species is not found in southern Texas, but is said to occur in its northeastern portion. 

 I have given its characteristics with the view of illustrating more fully the character of the D. 

 calif arnica. 



DIDELPHYS CALIFORNICA, Bennett, (p. 233.)— Texas Possum. 



This species appears to be considerably smaller than the common possum of the north. The 

 tail is as long as the body, exclusive of the head and neck ; the portion covered with hair is 

 only about one-tenth its length. 



The ears are large and naked on both sides^ higher than wide, and rounded at the tips. 



The under-fur is yellowish white throughout, except the terminal portion, which, on the back 

 and sides, is dark brown ; nearly black along the middle of the back. This color is more dif- 

 fused on the sides and beneath. The legs and feet are entirely dusky throughout to the claws. 

 The under part of the head, including the entire lower jaw, is dusky. There is a dusky patch 

 in front of the eye, which commences a little behind the nostril and passes through the eye 

 involving the eyelids, and, extending backwards and curving downwards about as far from 

 the eye as this is from the nose, becomes confluent with the dusky of the chin. There is thus 

 a distinct light patch on the side of the head from the nose, widening behind and terminating 

 in a rounded outline, convex behind. The top of the head is quite dusky, with a faint indica- 

 tion of a dark streak along the central line, the whole confluent with the dusky of the tail. 

 The ears are black, with a yellow blotch in the upper edge. The tail is white, except the basal 

 third, which is black. 



The back and side are thickly interspersed with long, yellowish, silvery hairs, thickest along 



much 



(199) 



general pattern of coloration, but is 



alniost entirely black or dark brown throughout, except the light patch on the cheek and one 

 behind the ear. The long, soft hairs are vvanting entirely, but the remaining fur is much 

 coarser than in the specimen first described, the hairs black or dark brown, the basal half 

 whitest. There are softer, shorter hairs interspersed, which are black only at the extreme tip. 



Mexico 



The basal half 



d 



from the D 



r 



In the latter species the fingers and toes are white ; there is more white on the ear. The head 

 is greyish white, with only a dusky blotch immediately around the eye ; but no such pattern 

 of marking as described. The size of D. virginiana is considerably larger ; its ears more 

 rounded or less pointed above ; the hairy portion of the tail longer. 



The only other species with which a comparison is required is the D. azarae. In this the 

 body is as dark or darker than in the present species ; the head and neck are, however, white, 

 with a single central dark stripe along the forehead to the dusky of the nape. The ears and 

 toes are flesh colored. ].K aurita is similar in some respects, but wants the well defined white 



. I . 





S 



