JUNE, 1901. MAMMALS FROM N. C, S. C., GA. AND FLA. ELLIOT. 53 



in Florida, it would more probably be found in the small animal 

 known as "marsh coon" than in the larger kind named by Mr. 

 Bangs. In color of pelage I can see no difference worthy of 

 remark, and the shoulder patches of northern specimens are 

 quite as deep as are those in Florida examples. 



The plates exhibit skulls of raccoons from West Virginia and 

 Florida, Nos. i and 7, both being of rather an extreme type in 

 the frontal elevation ; and some of the Florida skulls have the 

 superior outline considerably less curved. 



Mr. Surber's notes of the Florida raccoon are the following : 

 "No coons were taken in the Carolinas or Georgia,* but I 

 found them very common at New Berlin, in the sea marsh, where 

 several specimens were taken. This small, yellowish marsh coon 

 is very different in appearance from typical lotor, and they must 

 be seen in the flesh to fully appreciate the difference. One of 

 the greatest peculiarities I found about this small coon was its 

 habit of barking, when one is approached in a trap, this bark 

 closely resembling that of a small rat terrier. Each one I took 

 invariably began barking as soon as it saw me, its bark some- 

 times changing to a sort of chattering growl. Had I the privi- 

 lege of giving this coon a common name, I should certainly call 

 it the "Barking coon," for it seems to me to well deserve the 

 title. I have taken a great many specimens of P, lotor in the 

 mountains of West Virginia and elsewhere, but have never noticed 

 this peculiarity before. In a hardwood hummock, well back from 

 the St. John's River, at New Berlin, I took a very large coon, 

 (No. 7), closely resembling P. lotor, and all the hunters and trap- 

 pers who saw it at once pronounced it the " timber coon." If 

 this should eventually prove to be so, will the so-called "timber 

 coon " prove to be typical P. lotor? All along the east coast I 

 was told of the two varieties, one large and dark, the other small 

 and yellowish with very long legs, the former known as the 

 "timber" variety, the latter as the "marsh" coon. It is to be 

 regretted very much that I was unable to get specimens at Enter- 

 prise, where I heard of but the one species. Raccoons are by 

 far the commonest mammal on the salt marsh near New Berlin, 

 their paths leading in every direction through the tall marsh 

 grass. They are also fairly common on the East Peninsula near 

 Oak Lodge, but the only one trapped bit its foot off and 

 escaped." 



* Specimen taken at St. Marys, Ga., after these notes were sent in. 



