712 THE NATIONAL ZOO AT WASHINGTON. 



National Zoo at Washington; or, more comprehensively put, the 

 restoration of the natural conditions of each animal was the main 

 thought in Mr. Langley's plan — a plan that, though not yet fully 

 realized, has been more than justified by the results. 



IV. 



In the center of the park is the coon tree. This very tree had 

 undoubtedly been climbed many a time by the wild coons, within a few 

 years, before it was selected to be the center of a little coon kingdom. 

 It is now the abode of over 30 thrifty specimens, which live their lives 

 here much as they once did in the woods, and there is no reason to 

 suppose that they suffer in any way, since all their needs — food, shel- 

 ter, companionship, and amusement — are cared for. They have indeed 

 all the good things that their wild brethren have, excepting only that 

 there is a limit to their liberty. 



Usually they may be seen all da} T sunning themselves in the high 

 crotches, and the sunnier the day the higher the crotch, so that they 

 are a living barometer. When there is a prospect of continued fine 

 weather the coons climb up as far as they can safely go, and at a dis- 

 tance they look like fruit still hanging on the tree. But in doubtful 

 weather they sit lower and nearer the trunk; there they look more 

 like nests, and give the tree the appearance of a rookery; while, in 

 a storm, all descend and huddle together in the great hollow trunk 

 that lies on the ground below and at all times serves as the bedroom 

 of the colony. 



The scientific name of the coon means "washer," and one of his pop- 

 ular names is "wash bear," from the peculiar trick he has of carefully 

 washing all his food. This interestingly Mosaic habit the coons keep 

 up in captivity, no matter how clean the morsel or how doubtful the 

 water may be; and as their tactile paw is busied soaking the next piece 

 of provender, their eyes take in the surroundings as though they were 

 not needed in the supposed purification of the food. These, of course, 

 are habits learned in the w 7 oods. The coon feeds along the edges of 

 the creeks and ponds, picking up crawfish, frogs, and other mud- 

 dwellers. Then, having secured them, he is careful to clean them off 

 in their native stream, so as not to eat mud with eveiy course. And 

 this being a matter he can very well leave to his very sensitive fingers, 

 his eyes are judiciously employed in scanning the woods about, either 

 for more game or to guard against being made game of himself by 

 some powerful enemy. 



Those who have seen the little ones when they are old enough to be 

 brought to the water by their mother, and there receive their first 

 lessons in frog hunting, describe them as doing everything just as she 

 does, copying her in all things, dabbing their paws in the mud as their 

 watchful eyes rove about scanning the neighboring woods. 



