THE RACCOONS 627 



than the panda, owing to the presence of the whole of the four typical pairs of pre- 

 molars in the lower jaw. The cheek-teeth differ from those of the latter in being 

 more like the ordinary carnivorous type ; while the skull has not the short and 

 convex form of the panda's. 



Externally, the raccoons are characterized by their thickly-built and stout bod- 

 ies, their heads broad behind but tapering to a sharp point at the muzzle, and their 

 medium-sized and distinctly-ringed tails. The ears are small and rounded. When 

 walking, the entire sole of the foot is not applied to the ground, as it is when the ani- 

 mal is standing at rest ; while the toes themselves, and more especially those of the 

 fore-feet, can be spread out very widely. The compressed and curved nails differ 

 from those of the panda in being entirely nonretractile. The fur is characterized 

 by its length, softness, and thickness, and is greatly developed on the tail, but is 

 very short on the feet, of which the soles are naked. 



The best-known species is the common raccoon (Procyon lotor) , of which a group 

 is represented on the next page. The total length of this animal varies from about 



SKELETON OF RACCOON. 



thirty-two to thirty-six inches, of which some ten inches are occupied by the tail. 

 The body is covered with thick and rather coarse fur, of a dark-brown color, with 

 the tips of the hairs grayish ; but there is a distinct black patch on either side of the 

 face, including the eyes, and the muzzle is naked. The tail has five black ring, 

 separated by others of a whitish color, and its tip is black. When in its best condi- 

 tion, which is usually in the autumn, a raccoon will weigh from fifteen to twenty- 

 five pounds. There is considerable local variation in the color of this species ; the 

 coloration being most brilliant in the southern portion of its range, where its bodily 

 size is also greater than in the north. The common raccoon is confined to Northern 

 and Central America, extending from Alaska in the north to Costa Rica in the 

 south, and occurring over the whole of the United States, where these animals used 

 to be among the commonest. 



The best of the recent accounts of this raccoon is given by Dr. Hart 



Merriam, who tells us that raccoons are exceedingly common about the 



borders of the Adirondacks, but avoid the dense evergreen forests of the interior. 



Although, with the exception of bats and flying squirrels, they are the most strictly 



