THE VIRGINIA DEER— A CHARACTERISTIC NORTH AMERICAN MAMMAL 



Line drawing from the mounted specimen. This Virginia doe stands as the first example in the 

 Museum of the new methods of animal sculpture as opposed to the old taxidermy. It was mounted 

 and presv?nted by Carl E. Akeley in 1902. 



SOUTHEAST WING 



Mammals of North America 



Opossum 



Continuing east beyond the elevator corridor, we enter the hall 



., , „ devoted to North American mammals, the first to catch 

 Alaskan Moose . ,. » , , t , 



the eye being the giant moose oi Alaska. In the cases 



on the west wall and elsewhere are groups illustrating species found 

 within fifty miles of New York City. One of these groups shows the opos- 

 sum, the sole representative in the United States of the 

 marsupial or pouched mammals. With what appear to 

 be the head and ears of a pig and the prehensile tail of a, monkey, with a 

 strange pouch for the transportation of the young, and v^th proverbial 

 cunning and remarkable tenacity of fife, the opossum is one of the 

 quaintest and most interesting of North American mammals. This is 

 the animal so famous in the negro songs of the South. 



Next is the raccoon, more commonly kno^\^l as 

 the "coon." It is nocturnal in habit and makes its nest 

 in hollow trees. Two species of fox are shown, the red fox 

 and the gray fox, both of which are justly famous for their sly cunning. 



67 



Raccoon 

 Foxes 



