XLV. 



Raccoon or Coon. 



Procyon lotor (Linn.). 

 (Gr. Procyon, from pro, before; cyon, a dog — the name of a star group that rises just 

 before the Dog-star. The name was given to this genus by Storr in 1780, probably 

 without special reason. L. lotor, a washer, on account of its habit of washing 

 its food.) 



Ursus lotor LiNNAEUs, 1758, Syst. Nat., X ed., I, p. 48. 

 Procyon lotor Desmarest, 1819, Diet. d'Hist. Nat., XXIX, 

 p. 91. 



Type Locality. — Eastern United States. 



French Canadian, le Raton. 

 Cree & Saut., Es'-see-ban. 

 OjiB., Es'-see-pan. 

 Yankton Sioux, fVay-atch-a. 

 Ogallala Sioux, Wee'-cha. 



'Coon' is abbreviated from 'Raccoon' or 'Racoon,' which 

 is the Englished form of 'Arocoun,' the Indian name of the 

 creature in Virginia. 



The Raccoon Family or Procyonidce comprise middle- 

 sized animals, kin of the Bears, having on each foot 5 well- 

 developed toes with fixed claws, the soles naked, the hind-feet 

 plantigrade; they have pointed nose and ears; tail, rather long 

 and bushy, usually ringed. 



The genus Procyon (Storr, 1780) has the above char- 

 acters and has the teeth: 



T 3~3 i-i 4-4 , 2-2 



Inc. ; can. ; prem. ; mol. = 40 



3-^ I -I 4-4 2-2 



1010 



