266 



THE BEASTS OF PREY 



thick leaf-covered boughs; but in localities where 

 he is entirely undisturbed, he has no particular time 

 of day for hunting but promenades through his vast 

 domain by day as well as by night. 



Some Notable He is a cheerful, handsome fellow 

 Traits of the and amusing because of his great 

 Raccoon. activity and liveliness. When he 

 saunters along undisturbed, he lets his head sink, 

 arches his back, permits his tail to droop, and slinks 

 on his way rather slowly and with a sidelong move- 

 ment ; but as soon as he has made a discovery 

 worthy of arousing his interest, as for instance when 

 he finds the trail of a harmless animal, or perceives 

 the animal itself, his demeanor changes entirely. 

 Then the rough fur becomes smooth, he pricks up 

 his wide ears to listen, stands erect on his hind legs, 

 and follows at an agile pace, jumping and running, 

 and he climbs with an agility for which one would 

 scarcely have given him credit, not only on slanting 

 and perpendicular trunks, but also on horizontal 

 branches, with his body upward or downward. Fre- 

 quently one sees him running on a horizontal branch, 

 like a Sloth or a Monkey, his body hanging down- 

 ward. He often leaps from one branch to another 

 with unfailing security, and displays a mastery far 

 above ordinary skill in the art of climbing. On level 

 ground he is also thoroughly at home and knows 

 how to proceed at a great pace by executing jumps 

 in which he alights upon all four paws at once. 

 His mental qualities are somewhat Monkey-like. 

 He is cheerful, lively, inquisitive, mischievous and 

 prone to play merry tricks, but is also courageous, 

 and, when necessity demands it, cunning as a Fox 

 in catching his prey. He lives on excellent terms 

 with his own kind and even in old age he plays for 

 hours with like-minded companions, or in captivity 

 with any animal that is moved to play with him. 

 Raccoons Live on The 'Coon [for so he is familiarly 



Varied Kinds called] eats anything edible, but 

 of Food. seems to be rather fastidious, select- 

 ing the choicest morsels wherever he can do so. 

 Fruit of all kinds, chestnuts, wild grapes, and sweet 

 corn while the ears are still soft, are articles of diet 

 highly esteemed by him ; but he also preys upon 

 birds and their nests, knows how to slyly circumvent 

 a Chicken or a Pigeon, is a master in finding the 

 most carefully hidden nest, and then delights in the 

 eggs, which he knows how to open and empty with 

 marvelous agility, without losing a drop of their 

 contents. Not infrequently he enters gardens or 

 houses with the sole intention of stealing Chickens, 

 or devastating Hen's nests, and therefore does not 

 enjoy a very high place in the favor of farmers. 

 He even levies tribute on the water, for he very 

 adroitly catches fish and Crabs, and during low tide 

 he often travels far out into the sea in search of this 

 favorite dainty. He seems to be extremely partial 

 to the stout grubs of some Beetles and displays 

 great skill in the capture of Grasshoppers. He 

 possesses the peculiarity of dipping his food into 

 the water and then rubbing it between his forepaws, 

 as if to wash it. He does this only when he is not 

 very hungry, however; for, when hunger presses, the 

 demands of his stomach probably leave him no 

 time for the much liked, playful occupation, which 

 has caused the Germans to name him, "Wash-Bear." 



The little Raccoons make their appearance in 

 May. They are from four to six in number to the 

 litter and very small. The mother, with consider- 

 able care, prepares a nursery for them in a hollow 

 tree. 



Raccoon Hunt- The Raccoon is pursued not only on 

 ing a Fauorite account of his fur, but he is also 

 American Sport, killed for mere sport. If one has 

 only his fur in view, he is easily caught in iron and 

 other traps, baited with a fish or a little piece of 

 meat. The hunt is less simple. Americans are pas- 

 sionately fond of this sport. The Raccoon is not 

 hunted by day but by night, with Dogs and torch- 

 lights. When the Raccoon leaves his solitary den 

 and glides through the underbrush with low, noise- 

 less steps, and the forest is buried in stillness, the 

 hunters and Dogs set out. A good, experienced 

 Dog finds the trail and the whole pack rushes after 

 the fleeing, agile 'Coon, which finally mounts a tree 

 with Monkey-like quickness and tries to hide among 

 the darkest branches. The Dogs surround the foot 

 of the tree, barking and howling, while the pursued 

 animal lies cuddled far up in the branches comfort- 

 ably at rest, enveloped by the darkness of night. 

 Then the sportsmen come nigh. The torches are 

 thrown in a heap, dry wood and pine-cones are 

 gathered, and suddenly an immense fire blazes up 

 under the tree, shedding a magic light on the sur- 

 roundings. Some good climber then mounts the 

 tree, and undertakes the office of the Dogs among 

 the branches. The Man and the Monkey-like Bear 

 race with each other on the tree, till the 'Coon goes 

 forth on a wavering branch in the hope of reaching 

 another tree in this way. His pursuer follows him 

 as far as he can, and suddenly begins to shake the 

 branch with all his might. Then the poor Raccoon 

 must hold fast, or he will fall to the ground. But 

 all efforts are of no avail. The enemy advances 

 nearer and nearer, the animal's efforts to hold on 

 become more and more strenuous and then he 

 grasps a brittle branch and tumbles down. The 

 Dogs greet his downfall with joyous barks and the 

 chase is renewed with fresh vigor. The Raccoon 

 tries to escape the Dogs by climbing other trees, but 

 he is doomed to become the prey of his four-footed 

 enemies at last, and their bites end his life. 



Raccoons May A Raccoon taken young usually be- 

 Become Very comes tame in a very short time. 

 Tame. j-[j s familiarity, cheerful disposition 



and peculiar restlessness, his never ceasing enjoy- 

 ment of moving about, and his amusing. Monkey- 

 like temper, render him an agreeable pet. He en- 

 joys being petted very much, but never shows great 

 "attachment to any person. He is always ready for 

 play and pranks and testifies his contentment by a 

 little growl, just as Puppies are wont to do. His 

 demeanor reminds one of a Monkey in every re- 

 spect. He is always busy with something and pays 

 a great deal of attention to all that is going on 

 around him. He causes much mischief on his walks 

 around the house and yard. He investigates and 

 tastes everything, in the pantry as well as in the 

 yard and garden. 



L. Bechmann's "Foremost among the qualities of the 

 Account of 'Coon," says L. Beckmann, "are his 

 the Raccoon. unlimited inquisitiveness and greed, 

 his obstinacy, and his tendency to search all nooks 

 and corners. In sharp contrast to these qualities, he 

 also possesses coolness, self-restraint and a marked 

 sense of humor. These contending instincts, natu- 

 rally, often bring about the queerest results. As 

 soon as he realizes the impossibility of attaining 

 any special object he has been striving for, the 

 fiercest curiosiry immediately gives place to an 

 apathetic indifference, and obstinate perseverance 

 changes into resignation. On the other hand he 



