THE MAMMALS OF NEW JERSEY. 105 
time with a meadow mouse in his mouth, which was stored 
away in the burrow. I saw him bring in six while I watched, 
and each time he reached the swamp by exactly the same route. 
The smaller, Bonaparte’s Weasel occurs farther north and 
may sometimes occur in the northwestern counties. It has a 
shorter tail, not exceeding one-quarter of the total length. 
Putorius noveboracensis Abbott, Cook’s Geol. of N. J., 1868 
Pp. 753-—Rhoads, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1897, p. 31.— 
Rhoads, Mam. Pa. and N. J., 1903, p. 170. 
Putorius ermineus Abbott, A Naturalist’s Rambles, 1885, 
p. 448. Ft 
Mustela pusilla Beesley, Geol. Cape May Co., 1857, p. 137. 
Family PROCYONIDZ. 
RACCOONS AND THEIR ALLIES. 
These are small or medium-sized bear-like carnivorous ani- 
mals of which only one species, the common raccoon occurs in 
New Jersey. 
Genus Procyon Storr. 
Raccoons. 
Procyon lotor (Linnzus). 
Raccoon, 
PLATE 54. 
Length, 32 inches. Hair long, rather coarse. General color 
gray, hair dusky or black at the tip, darker on the back; face 
whitish, with a black area on each cheek surrounding the eye; 
feet black; tail bushy, grayish white, with black rings. 
Though a member of the carnivora the raccoon is quite will- 
ing to devour any sort of fruit that comes in his way, and is par- 
ticularly fond of fresh corn. Small animals he also devours, as 
well as eggs of both domestic and wild fowls and fowls them- 
selves when opportunity offers. 
