4^6 Game of Furope, W. & N. Asia & America 



ordinary species is divisible into several local races, such as P. lotor elucus 

 of Florida, and the pale -coloured P. lotor nisularis from Tres Marias 

 Islands, off" Western Mexico. To these, however, any hiller reference 

 would he superfluous in this volume. 



The best account of the habits of the raccoon is one given by Dr. C. H. 

 Merriam in his work on the Mammals of the Adirondack Region^ Nort/i- 

 Eastern New York. Although they had already become scarce in many 

 other parts of the States, raccoons at the date of writing (1884"^ were still 

 abundant in those mountains, where.^ however, they are absent from the 

 dense evergreen forests ot the interior. In the main they are strictly 

 nocturnal in their habits, and are practically omnivorous in their diet, 

 feeding upon any animals (including fish and insects) they are able to 

 capture and kill, and likewise devouring large numbers of birds' eggs, as 

 well as nuts, fruits, and corn. They are fond of the water, being expert 

 swimmers, but only capture such fish as may be stranded, although they 

 scoop up freshwater mussels from the shallows. They breed and take 

 refuge in trees, although they are by no means to be regarded as typically 

 arboreal animals, since they hunt their prey upon the ground, where they 

 likewise pick up such fruits and nuts as they may devour. Buds and 

 young shoots form a portion of their diet. In the Adirondacks raccoons 

 hibernate during the winter, reappearing in February or March, according 

 to the mildness or otherwise of the season. In Mexico and Central 

 America they are, however, doubtless abroad at all times of the year. 

 They usually associate in family parties, and are prone to wanderings, 

 frequently not returning to their hiding-places for several days together, 

 and on such excursions making use of any shelter that may be at hand. 

 Hollow limbs of trees form their favourite places of retreat, but they are 

 sometimes content with a hollow fallen log. The nest is always placed 

 high up in a tree, and the young, which in the Adirondacks are usually 

 born in April, are in most cases from four to six in number. 



