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 1022 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



shell being 2 feet thick, incliuling the bark. Raccoon-hunting 

 is common here in the winter season. The hunter examines 

 every hollow tree met with, and when he sees the fresh marks 

 of the claws, he makes a hole with an axe, and thus opens the 

 hollow s|Kice in which he lights a fire to (ind out if there be 

 any Raccoons within, as they often climb trees in the autumn, 

 and, not fuiding them proper for the purpose, leave them and 

 seek others. But if they be within, the smoke obliges tliem to 

 ascend and put their heads out of the hole they entered. On 

 observing this, the axe is applied to the tree; with the assistance 

 of the fire it is soon down, ami the hunter stands ready to dis- 

 patch the animals whilst they are stuiuied by the fall. But 

 sometimes they are so obstinate as to remain at the bottom of 

 the hole until they are suffocated or roasted to death. (P 157.) 



"March 5, 1801. My men have raised and put their 

 traps in order for the spring hunt, as the Raccoons begin to 

 come out of their winter cjuarters in the daytime, though they 

 retire to the hollow trees at night. * * * My men begin to take 

 Raccoons which are very lean." (P|)- 171-2.) 



The |)r(nluct of all this was 197 Coon skins. (P. 184.) 



Now it begins again its season of active life, although it is 

 ever ready to resume its cold-sleep if the return of coUl weather 

 should render it desirable. As the ground is still covered with 

 snow , and the Coon does not store up food, it is hard put for a 

 time, and draws freely on the reserves that are afforded by its 

 fat. These are usually exhausted before Dame Nature again 

 provides its daily bread, so that, as we ha\e seen, the spring 

 Coon is a \cxy lean beast. 



This is strictly nocturnal if any animal e\er is; the darkest 

 hours of night are its fa\ourite time for prowling, which, never- 

 theless does not pre\ent enterprising reformers of the race 

 occasionally setting forth on a diurnal excursion, for which they 

 not uncommonly share the fate of unnumbered reformers, and 

 win, without wearing, a martyr's crown. 



Although nesting and resting in trees, where it mo\es about 

 with the slow caution of 'Possum aiul Bear, ratlier than the 



