Raccoon 1019 



winter torpor is usually associated with long gestation, since the 

 days passed in torpor are scarcely counted in those operations 

 of nature where high functional activity is essential; further- 

 more, we may argue from this that the gestation will vary greatly 

 in proportion to the length of the individual's winter sleep. 



The young are born in April or May, varying somewhat young 

 with the latitude, those in the north being later; they number 

 from 3 to 6, 4 being usual. 



The home-life of the Coon family is nearly ideal. I think, home- 

 but am not sure, that the father continues to form one of the 

 circle. During May the little ones stay home and are nour- 

 ished only with milk. In late June they are one-third grown 

 and begin to sit outside the den on bright days, enjoying their 

 sun bath, but ready to seek the home-nest on the slightest hint 

 of danger. 



A charming picture of young Coon life in Texas is supplied 

 by Vernon Bailey:' "While watching for Fox-squirrels [says 

 he] one morning [June 6] in the heavily timbered bot- 

 toms, I heard a scratching sound from an old cypress in the 

 edge of the swamp near by, followed by a loud splash. A 

 young Coon, less than half grown, had fallen into the water. 

 At the sound, the old Coon and 2 more young ones came out 

 of a hollow some 30 feet up in the trunk and climbed down to 

 near the bottom of the tree. They came down the tree slowly 

 but steadily, head-first, as a squirrel would have done, with the 

 hind-feet reversed and slightly divergent. 



"When the old Coon saw the young one climb out of the 

 water upon the tree trunk, she turned about and ascended the 

 trunk, followed by the 3 young. The one that had fallen, 

 besides being very wet, was slightly hurt and climbed with 

 difficulty. When half-way up, he stopped on a limb to rest and 

 began whimpering and crying. 



"The mother had already reached the hole, but, on hearing 

 his cries, turned about and climbed down to him. Taking a 



' N. A. Fauna, No. 25, 1905, p. 194. 



